Help Me!
by JosieStyle
Summary: Castiel had some trouble. Not much later Dean and Sam get a phone call with a cry for help. CasWhump, helping Winchesters mixed with a little humour and drama.
1. Chapter 1

Appearing in the abandoned warehouse the Voice had called him too, Castiel looked around him. The Voice had sounded vaguely familiar, he couldn't determine whose voice it was, but he knew it came from another angle. An odd feeling had blossomed inside of him upon hearing it. He figured it must have been the feeling that Dean once described as 'homesick'. He longed for his return to Heaven, back to his family, like he had lived before…before he started questioning the orders that were given him, like Anna had before him. He knew it had been the right choice to make, but still…the feeling was there. It had been so long since he had been home. It had been even longer since he had received a call from his family. The Voice that called him here gave him a personal message. Fearing a trap for a moment, he quickly pushed that feeling down. He knew the Angel the Voice belonged too and receiving a message from it made him more curious than suspicious.

Casting another glance through the sorry excuse for a warehouse, he detachedly noticed that it was nearly collapsing. The only thing keeping the building upright were the concrete pillars spread at equal distances from each other near the walls. It had been a long time since humans had come inside. His eyes roamed over the decaying remnants of civilisation, settling on a shoe in the far corner. It was a man's shoe, its laces still in a neat bow. Even after all this time it was clear that the shoe much have been rather expensive…Shaking his head, Castiel focused his attention back to the real reason he was here.

The feeling of air displacing and the sound of wings flapping two feet behind him had him turning around.

"Castiel, my brother. It's been long,"a soft voice called out. The voice of a human, of a female human! Raising his eyes to the form in front of him, a warm feeling coursed through his body. He knew this Angel indeed, even though now she was wearing the form of a lithe woman with light brown wavy hear and almond coloured eyes.

"Olivia, my sister," Castiel greeted her, bowing his head respectfully at her. The young woman just laughed. "I am not half your age and yet you treat me as your equal, Castiel. I see you have not changed. Humankind has not changed you."Castiel just smiled in return, walking towards her. It was rare for angels to make a meeting so…human… but that was what was happening now, two Angels hugging each other as a way of greeting.

"I don't know what our brothers and sister have been telling you about me up in Heaven, but humans are not as bad. They have Hope and Passion. That's special,"Castiel explained to her, both human forms still hugging each other. At his words Olivia's body turned rigid for a few seconds, nearly imperceptibly, but Castiel was an Angel. Hesitantly he released her from his arms, scanning her face. "My dear brother, you know that I care about you," Olivia started, but her eyes were no longer focused on his blue ones. He felt a cold starting to settle that went deeper than just missing the warmth of her body wrapped in his arms. Olivia was creating a distance between them, something was not right here…

Castiel was a soldier of Heaven and of God. He knew all about warfare and he was no idiot. Another feeling appeared, a feeling making him sad and somewhat angry. He'd been on earth long enough to recognise this feeling unfortunately. He'd seen it more than enough on the faces of either Winchester brother over the time he had been with them. It was betrayal…

"Olivia, you are here…to destroy me."

Olivia's image suddenly turned grey, as if a mist was pulling up around her meat-suit. Her bright eyes lost their sparkle and her cheeks were pale. The distance created between them was nearly palpable. It was nearly unbelievable that just minutes ago they had shared a hug.

"Castiel, I have come to end this. Our brothers and sisters are looking for you everywhere, they want to punish you. You know what they will do to you when they finally find you! I couldn't let that happen to you, my brother, I didn't want you have to suffer through that." Her right arm slid slowly down her small body, fingertips pointing towards the dirty floor. Seconds later, an Angel sword appeared in her hand. Castiel froze for a second, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sister, no…"

"Come Castiel, please. They are coming here! Zachariah has given his orders. Let me do it, before someone else will!"

Castiel suddenly understood; she did not want him to suffer, like he had the last time he had been capture in Heaven. He feared Zachariah. But his choices had been made a long time ago and he had done too much, risked too much to step back from that now. Besides, Dean counted on him…

"No Olivia. The Winchester's…I've made my choice, this is my punishment for it. I rather fight than give up now. Please…I don't want to fight you, I care for you sister. Please don't make me have to fight you."Castiel took a step backwards, raising his empty hands in another clear show of humanity. "I won't fight you; sister, but I won't back down either. Please leave...leave now! Before they see you!"

Castiel looked straight into the amber eyes of his younger sister. He had seen her grow up, he watched out for her, taught her what she needed to know. He loved her, she was his favourite. It hurt him to stand against her now in a situation like this. Oh he knew it was his own fault. Because of his disobedience he never could or should see her again. The other Angels cursed his name, putting Olivia in a tight spot. She could barely speak his name Upstairs. Their gazes met; grief palpable in the air, as far as Angels were able to feel that. The moment lasted until Olivia closed her eyes, sighing softly as the Angel sword clattered to the ground. Silence stretched, only to be broken by Castiel. "I'm sorry Olivia, for doing this to you. But I can't stop now. Earth must be protected, as well as the people living on it. They are our Father's creations. We must stop the Apocalypse!"

Olivia's eyes remained closed; head bowed slightly, long brown hair falling as a curtain in front of her face. Suddenly she nodded and sighed. "You have spoken as a true criminal, Castiel." She opened her eyes and looked straight at him. Those words cut into his heart, seemingly weakening him for a moment. Castiel could feel the raw energy of the other Angel pulsating, expanding around her human form. She was so much stronger than him, he having lost his connection the Heavens. Her energy rippled around him, taking his strength with it. He knew he had to fight it, but something made him hesitate. A part of him that wanted her to punish him, the part that still felt guilty about what he had done, a feeling that cut deep…

Before he realised it, she had raised her hand and a big blast of air flung him across the warehouse. Yards away from where he had been standing, Castiel's flight came to an abrupt halt as he collided with one of the concrete pillars. Glass and wood splintered as he landed on the floor, collapsing on a couple of crates. Instantly Castiel pushed himself up until he was leaning against the wall, trying to ignore the pain waves his human form was sending to his Angelic mind. Unable to move any further, Castiel tried to quickly take in all the injuries he had sustained. Blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth, his ribs seared in agony with each struggling breath, indicating at least one was broken and had possibly punctured his lung. But the worst pain was coming from his back, pain so bad it was overwhelming all his other senses, leaving him out for the count...all because of his own sister.

He heard her coming towards him, as the dull drumming in head slowly subsided somewhat. Taking a deep breath, he immediately regretted it as blood rose up in his trachea, sending him into a coughing fit so violent it threatened to make him loose consciousness. But the feeling of fear that rose as his sister approached him even closer shook him awake again.

"This was for your own good, my brother. Maybe this will make you listen." Blinking his eyes to clear away the dark spots at the edge of his vision, he tried to focus on his sister's words. "_Olivia…please."_ His voice faltered, blood dripping down his chin to land on his white dress shirt. His sister's strength had surprised him, taken him out for the moment, but his body was slowly healing again.

"I do not wish for your death, my brother, but I do not wish for you to suffer either. When I came here, I thought you would see the wisdom of my words. But now I see you have stepped down to the level of humans, you hold your life too dearly; you have forgotten why you are really here. You are here to protect them, to serve our Father! But instead now you serve their side, against the will of our Father, against your own family. That mistake is unforgivable! Our brothers and sisters are outraged; they all want to punish you for that. And I…I can't blame them for that…"

Raising his head to look at his sister, he tried to move his hands and legs. He was still breathing fast and shallowly, but the bleeding had stopped. "Let me go Olivia…" he grunted. Olivia shook her head, her eyes only inches away from his own, staring him down. "You cannot run, the best Angels are sent after you, they will find you wherever you go. It won't take long now, there is nowhere left to run to, my brother."Her voice resounded with a sad finality, reminding him of their bond, before she closed off any emotion again.

"They will always find you; you are still an Angel, Castiel. Your Grace…it is strong…" She glanced over his slowly healing body. "It's not as strong as it once was, but still… It was not difficult for me to find you... neither will it be for them."She slowly stroked his hair. Castiel tried to sit up straighter, but his broken back and ribs refused to cooperate fully.

"Olivia…" he quietly begged. He saw the look in her eyes; he knew what was coming now. In another show of human emotion he shook his head in denial. Feelings of confusion suddenly took over his mind, his grip on Jimmy's body slowly losing its hold.

"I have heard your fears Castiel. I will make them disappear for you." She whispered softly, before taking a deep breath. Determinedly, she rolled up the sleeve of her right arm.

"No…Olivia…no…please." Her hand slowly started glowing with a white light, a part of her true form appearing behind her. Castiel opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In a reflex he struck out with his arm and his Angel sword slid out. His hand shook too much to do real damage though.

"Your Grace, Castiel. Your Grace is the key!"

Castiel once again shook his head in denial and grasped his Angel sword better. Suddenly her knee slammed down on his hand, forcing a groan out of him. His free hand went for her throat, but she was much stronger than him. She wrapped her own fingers around his hand and pulled it away from her neck.

The glowing hand became brighter and brighter until she punched it against Castiel's chest.

"Nooooooo…!"

A bright light exploded through the warehouse, blocking out all sight and all sounds, expect for the screams of the Angel of Thursday…

XXX

Dean and Sam Winchester had been riding for twelve hours in a row after a rough hunt. Very tired and, in Dean's case, very hungry, they had finally arrived at their motel room. Sam was already halfway to getting undressed, on his way to the small bathroom. Dean had tossed his pack next to his bed and quickly pulled of his shoes. The hunt had worn them out good. They had to track 15 miles through wet sand and now he felt muscles in his body whose existence were not known to him before. His socks were wet and his shoes were filled with at least half the Sahara. And judging from the sand next to Sam's clothes, his brothers had dragged along the other halve. Listening with a half ear to the water of the shower running and his brother humming a song under his breath, he stretched out on his bed. Listening more carefully to his brother, he laughed as he recognized the song.

"Yo Britney! Leave some hot water for me, will ya!"Grin growing wider as he heard his brother some choice words before stopping with singing.

Suddenly his stomach grumbled furiously, reminding him how hungry he actually was. Grunting as he heaved himself of the covers again, padding barefoot to the mini-fridge. Scanning the contents, he settled on an eggroll from the day before, taking a quick bite as he slammed the door shut. Listening as Sam exited the shower, a white towel wrapped around his middle, his overly long hair dark and slick with water.

"All yours Dean. And the water was already cold when I turned it on" Sam pointed at the bathroom without turning to his brother. His mouth filled with somewhat funny tasting eggroll, Dean nodded.

"Yeah right."Taking another bite, he walked towards the bathroom. Frowning at the food, he decided against eating more of it. He wasn't that brave after all…Grinning; he saw the perfect place for the eggroll to head too. Sam jerked upright in shock from searching for clean clothes in his duffle, as he felt something slimy connect with his back. _Dude!_ He scolded his brother, who had taken refuge in the bathroom, smirking at him from behind the protection of the door. Closing the door, he could he hear Dean laugh. The shower turned on and only seconds after he heard his brother curse loudly, probably finding out how cold the water really was. Shaking his head at his brother's antics, he put on his clean clothes, smirking as he anticipated Dean's reaction as he noticed that there were no towels left…

Stretching on his bed, he realised he heard a soft melody playing. Blinking, he looked in the direction the sound was coming from…Dean's jacket. Glancing in the direction of the bathroom, he noticed the shower still running. Switching his gaze back to the jacket, he hesitantly pulled the phone out, glancing at the caller ID. Cas?

Punching the call button, Sam didn't give the person on the other side of the line any chance to start talking…

"Cas? Where have you been man? We've been trying to reach you for days?"Sam asked worriedly, looking at the phone as if it would answer him. Cracks and rustles sounded from the other side of the line. Maybe Cas had been ass-dialling again, Dean had told him that had happened before, one time even in the middle of the night. Usually Cas would be talking, maybe to himself or his family upstairs, most of the time it was in Enochian. Dean had tried to explain the concept of ass-dialling to the Angel, but that had proven a task too great for his older brother, judging by the look of pure confusion on Cas' face when he first tried. Sam chuckled, that had been fun to watch…

Focusing on the sounds on the other side of the line, he realised he could hear Castiel breathing, which struck him as odd. It took him a second to realise what was odd about it. The rhythm was uneven and shallow, rasping in and out. Frowning worriedly, he heard the Angel groan. For a second, inappropriate thoughts flew in his head. Maybe the Angel was with a woman, maybe he shouldn't have answered it, maybe this was something between Dean and Cas. Grinning, he made to end the call.

"_S-Sam…ugh….help…"_ a voice suddenly rasped, forcing Sam to bring his attention back to the phone. "Cas?" He asked, fully focusing now, his adrenaline spiking as he noted the pain in the Angel's voice, hearing him suck in another breath.

"_S-Sam…industri..l..l…abandoned…warehouse. South coast…help…please…"_

Springing into action he addressed the Angel, _Hang on Cas, we're coming._He heard the Angel grunt, before the line got disconnected. The silence only managed to make his worry grow, momentarily indecisive what to do first: getting fully dressed or calling Dean. Tossing the cell phone on the bed, he banged on the bathroom door…

"Dean, hurry up man, we gotta go. It's Cas!"

_Yeah right_ Dean mumbled, probably thinking this was payback for the eggroll-attack.

"Dean, quit messing around. Cas just called, and it didn't sound good man. Come on, get a move on! He asked for our help, he's in trouble!"

The sound of running water gave way to silence and two seconds later the door unlocked, Dean's head popping around the corner, his face pale.

"Give me my clothes…"

**See you at chapter 2! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

The ride to the warehouse was set to take up two hours; quickly finding out which one Cas had been talking about by activating the tracking device on the phone. Not caring about speed limits, Dean had pushed the gas pedal down, meaning they were more than likely to end up there in an hour and a half. After all, this was about Cas. Just the idea that their friend was lying in some abandoned warehouse, in severe pain was enough to make him want to fly there. Not one to admit it out loud, Dean considered the Angel as family, a valuable part of their team Free Will. Thinking of what might have been able to hurt the Angel that badly, made Dean push in the gas even more…

Looking at his brother's profile against the streetlights outside of the window, he could see the tell-tale signs of worry. His brother was worried sick about the Angel, and as usual he showed that by venting his anger on everything that didn't go the way he wanted it to happen. Sam wondered if Dean looked like this whenever his brother had to go out and rescue him. Not suicidal enough to bother his brother at this time, he turned his head back to gaze outside at the fast passing scenery. Glancing at the speedometer, he subtly checked his seatbelt was secured once again. The bright headlights of the Impala illuminated the dark asphalt eaten away by its tires; the rhythmic motion of the car lulling Sam into a light doze.

Several minutes later Sam was startled awake by the sound of Dean's mobile ringing. He saw Dean jerk in surprise, so focused his brother had been on the road; before reaching into his jacket and tossing the phone in Sam's lap. Relieved his brother wasn't crazy enough to try answering a telephone at this speed, Sam quickly answered it.

"Hello?"

A long silence at the other side of the line answered him. Frowning, Sam tried again. "Hello, who is this?"

"Check caller-ID, will ya!" Dean snapped at him. Rolling his eyes at his brother he complied and looked at the screen; snapping up straight as he saw the name there: Cas…

"Cas? Are you okay? Listen, we'll be with you in an hour, okay. Just hang on until then!"

"_Who…Dean?"_A confused voice questioned, panic evident in the high tones. Frowning, Sam tried to identify the voice. It sounded like Castiel, but it also sounded not like him. Suddenly remembering where he had heard the voice before, he turned a shocked look at his brother, who was looking more at him than at the road they were speeding along. "Jimmy? Is that you?"

"_Y-Yes…where am I? Argh…my back, please…Dean? I can't get up…"_

"Jimmy! How are you doing? How seriously are you wounded?"Sam asked urgently, listening intently at the reply. Feeling his brother look at him, he raised a questioning eyebrow "What?"

"It's Jimmy, Sam. How does that qualify as good anywhere?"

"_My hands…blood... Oh my God…everywhere…Please…what happened? Amilia…Claire. No!"_

Sighing, Sam listened to Jimmy's pained cries, unable to help the poor man. Gripping the handle above the door, he nearly lost the phone as Dean suddenly made a sharp turn to the left, making his way to the harbours, having spotted the sign at the last second.

"Hang on, Jimmy. We're almost there!"Sam urged, hearing the soft pleas dying down as they were replaced by wracking coughs. Wanting more than anything to not have to hear it anymore, he lowered the phone for a bit, directing his attention to his brother.

"It's Jimmy, all right. And by the sound of it, he's not doing too well either. Where's Cas? You think he…?"

"Sam! If Jimmy's alive, that means Cas must be too. Maybe he's just too weak to control Jimmy's mind at the moment. How should I know, do I look like Dr. Angel MD to you! Just stop talking, this is getting us nowhere!"

Blinking in shock at the sudden outburst, Sam sighed and turned back to his window. Dean sighed as he noticed the classic signs of his younger brother being hurt. "Sorry Sammy, it's been a long day…"

Glancing in his direction, Sam sighed and nodded. "It's okay Dean, don't worry."

Sighing too, Dean turned his attention back to the road; a heavy silence settling over the car.

XXX

Dean had somehow managed to make it to their destination in just over an hour, a combination of a lead foot and a, thankfully, empty road to thank for that. It felt a bit strange, to have luck on their side for once. It made them fear what was waiting for them inside the empty warehouse all the more. If they got lucky with something, usually a very bad thing was standing in line to bite them not much later...

Shaking his head to clear out those depressing thoughts, Dean nearly jumped out of the car, not waiting to see if his brother was following. Sam always wrestled with unfolding his insanely long legs from inside the car after such a long ride.

"You think I should call Jimmy to let him know we're here?"Dean heard from behind him, those same long legs having closed the gap between them quickly. Looking around he noticed the uncertainty in Sam's posture, almost as if he was afraid this question was going to set of Dean's temper again.

"Great thinking Sammy. Here, use my phone."Tossing it to his younger brother, he noticed the relieved grin Sam tried to hide and fought the urge to roll his eyes. His baby brother was almost as transparent as an eager puppy. Yanking open the trunk, he opened the weapon-compartment. If this was some sort of trap, they were definitely not going in unarmed, thank you very much... Grabbing his gun, he tossed Ruby's knife to Sam, before handing him a flashlight. Pocketing his own, he slammed the trunk shut again, locking it. "Let's go."

Sam meanwhile had tried to reach Jimmy, but the call was redirected to voicemail, definitely not a good sign. Following his brother, they slowly moved towards the entrance of the first warehouse, checking the area for signs of a struggle, but finding none so far. That seemed odd, knowing Cas would not have gone down without a fight if he could help it. Maybe there had been someone with an Angel Sword, the only thing to kill an Angel, as far as they knew at least. It's not like the Angels went about telling them details of how to end them. They may have been strange, but they were not stupid...

Shining his light around the room, he caught sight of a box filled with shoes, the logo of the company clearly visible still. Pulling Dean's phone back out, he once again hit the redial-button. Somewhere in the dark, a chirpy melody answered...

Aiming their flashlights in the direction of the sound, they quickly headed to the back of the warehouse, unconsciously both speeding up their steps. The light of the moon no longer available to help them, they relied entirely on the weak beams of the flashlights to break the darkness, hoping that would be enough. Dean's light swung over a shoe, before heading on, but it had caught his eye. Swinging it back again, he nudged his brother, telling him to aim his own light in the same direction. Sucking in a breath at the sight the lights showed them, they stopped moving for a moment, before hastening towards the crumpled man, lying against a concrete pillar.

"Man, he's a mess. How can he still be alive? Look at his chest, Sam..." Dean breathed in shock. They both were used to sights with lots of blood and trauma, but seeing the state their friend was in, was enough to make even him feel a bit queasy.

Their lights revealed a big hole in the man's clothes, its edges cinched, the skin beneath it black and blue, an angry red scar running through it, blood still seeping out slowly; evidence of a wound having been there recently. More blood was dried up around his nose and ears, running in streams down his chin and neck.

"Oh man, check out his hands…"Dean whispered, gently picking one up. Deep lacerations crossed the palms, probably caused by the glass scattered around him. Checking over the rest of Cas' body, he suddenly realized something was off about the way he was positioned. He shuddered and had to fight the urge to throw up as he realized that his back was probably broken… "Oh dear God, Cas, what have they done to you…"

Kneeling next to his brother in an equal state of shock, Sam gently felt the man's neck to check for a pulse, his frown lessening somewhat when he found one. Even though it was weak and irregular, at least it meant that he was still alive. His breathing seemed to have improved from the last time he had him breathe over the phone, which was somewhat reassuring.

"Dean, he's out cold now. You think we could lift him to the car together. It's probably for the best if he doesn't feel any of that?"Looking at his older brother, he noticed Dean looked rather pale and was staring intently at the Angel.

"Dean? Hey man, you okay?"

Shaking his head, Dean focused his attention back to the situation at hand.

"His back, Sammy. I think it's broken, don't think it's too wise to move him…"

"What! You sure Dean?" Sam looked more closely at the Angel, his light catching a streak of blood on the concrete pillar; it stopped where Cas' head was positioned now. Turning his light to look at his brother, Sam sighed. "Looks like he was thrown against this pillar with huge force, he was probably surprised by his attacker. But it seems Cas also managed to heal most of the trauma to Jimmy's body before he…uhm…well, before he left and now Jimmy's has to deal with this."

Dean stared at his brother. "No shit, Sherlock. Thanks for the info, hadn't seen that already!"

"I'm just saying that this is Jimmy now, Dean. A regular human being. We could take him to a hospital now; they should be able to help him!"

Sighing, Dean reigned in his temper. That was not a bad idea at all, but after all those years of fending for themselves, going to a hospital was not his first instinct in situations like these.

Checking for a pulse himself, he deemed it strong enough to try and lift the man to the car.

"Listen, Sam. When he wakes up, he'll be talking about us and Cas. How long you think before they'll give him a one-way ticket to a psych ward? That is assuming he'll wake up at all. And think about last time Cas left his meaty home on earth. Remember what happened then? It's not safe for Jimmy in the real world…"

Nodding, Sam silently agreed with his brother's reasons. But they also couldn't just leave Jimmy lying there with a broken back.

Wiping a hand tiredly across his face, Dean sighed and held out his hand to Sam. "Give me my phone, Sam. I'll call an ambulance. We don't know how to deal with a broken back, you're right. I don't like it, that's for sure, but Jimmy needs help."

Punching in the three numbers with a little more force than needed, his thumb went to push the connect button, when suddenly a hand grasped his.

"S-stop..."

Startled, both brothers reached for their weapons reflexively, before realizing it was the hand of the wounded man that had reached for Dean's hand. "Jimmy?"Dean nearly stuttered, caught by surprise at the action.

The man closed his blue eyes, squinting in the lights of Sam's flashlight, which was aimed at his face. Mumbling an excuse, Sam lowered it slightly. Blue eyes opened again, before the man shook his head slowly.

"No…"he managed to grunt out, the tones this time low and gravelly.

Blinking in disbelief, Sam glanced at his older brother who looked just as surprised by the events. _"_Castiel?"

"_I…had to collect…power. My Grace…damaged, can't heal…Jimmy…stronger now…" _The wounded man made to stand but was quickly stopped by two sets of hands.

"Woa there Cas, what you think you're doing dude. You can't get up. Save your strength." Dean gently admonished, pushing the Angel back to the floor. Bright blue eyes turned in his direction, the eerie stare once again present as the Angel focused his attention on him.

"_Don't worry, Dean. My internal…bleeding…already healed…my Grace…destroyed. Just have to…rest…restore power. No hospital…" _Castiel's voice trailed off, getting weaker after each spoken word.

Dean wanted to ask how this had happened; who could have taken down the Angel like this, but one look at Cas told him that those questions had to wait for now, deep lines of pain and fatigue etched into Cas' face. Even the usually emotionless blue eyes seemed to shine with pain.

Rolling his shoulder, he looked at his brother, receiving a nod in return. Now that Cas was back it was clear to both that the hospital was no longer an option. They would have to take him to the motel, which meant having to carry the Angel to the Impala first…

"Okay Cas, no hospital. You'll come with us. But we'll need to lift you and I'm sure it will be painful."

Castiel carefully nodded his head in consent, immediately regretting the movement as pain seared through his skull, forcing him to close his eyes again.

Looking at the Angel, Sam sighed. His mind was already analysing the ways they could get the Angel to the car. But so far he hadn't found one that would not involve a lot more pain for him…

XXX

**AN: Oh how exiting. Cas being a touch guy and Dean needs to check his temper. I almost feel sorry for Sam getting caught between those two guys…lol**

**See you in chapter 3!**

**X**

**Josie**


	3. Chapter 3

Looking back at their friend, they could see how swiftly his strength was waning. The Angel's eyes stared ahead of him, unfocused, swerving from one brother to the other. They could feel him shaking under the hands resting on his shoulders, slowly slipping into a state of shock. Hooking an arm under Castiel's right shoulder, he motioned for Sam to do the same on the other side. Holstering his weapon, Sam looped the left arm around his shoulders, crouching down low in order to do so. All the while, the Angel had been struggling to keep his eyes open. "Cas? Castiel! Don't fall asleep now, man. Try to stay awake just a bit longer, okay?" Dean gently shook the Angel, trying to get his attention. Glassy blue eyes opened slowly, searching for Dean's face; the Angel nodded slowly to show he had heard the hunter.

"Sam, on the count of three we lift him, got it?" His brother acknowledged him with a headshake, attention focused on the Angel hanging in between them, his face pale and sweaty. Gently shaking Cas again, it took a bit longer this time before his eyes opened again, shifting from side to side, trying to find Dean again. After succeeding that task, he tried to keep his eyes focused, but the blue eyes were nearly dark with pain. Sighing worriedly at the Angel's weakened state, Dean gently shook him again. They could not risk Cas falling asleep again, in his condition it would be doubtful if he ever woke again…Seeing the blue eyes disappear behind the eyelids again, he raised his voice at the Angel. "Come on, Cas. You hear me? Huh? Don't leave me hanging here, man. Talk to me!"

Eyes opening to slits; the Angel visibly tried to make a sound, but instead the effort resulted in a coughing fit, eyes slipping closed again.

No longer able to watch the scene in front of him, Sam gently reminded him of what needed to be done. "Dean, it's no use. He's too tired. We've got to move now, get him somewhere we can take care of him. And I think if we lift him, it might be better for him to be out cold…"

Glaring at his brother for a moment, he soon sighed. Sam was right, he knew that. But he couldn't stand seeing Cas in this state. Turning his head to look at his brother, he saw the same worry he felt reflected in his brown eyes. "I know Sammy, you're right."

Despite the situation they were in, Sam could not help to feel pride swell up inside. It wasn't often that Dean went along with one of Sam's ideas these days, their strong bond broken and nearly shattered beyond repair after what he had done last year. To trust Sam now, with Castiel's life at stake, it felt as if a bit of that bond had been restored. It was a way for Dean to apologize for his behaviour recently and Sam knew to accept it for what it was…

Returning his attention to the Angel, Dean noticed he had already lost his battle to stay conscious in the short time he had talked to Sam. Eyes closed and jaw slack, the Angel look very young at that moment…

Sighing, Dean readjusted his grip on the Angel's shoulder. "On three, Sammy…" Nodding, Sam also took a better hold of the injured man. "One…two…three."

Slowly rising, they lifted Castiel until only his feet were resting on the floor, each grabbing hold of the man's waist to distribute the weight between the two of them. Not that the Angel was a heavy burden, he was surprisingly light, until they remembered that last time Jimmy admitted to not having eaten during the time Castiel had been inside of him. It was the sound that the Angel's back made when he was pulled upright, that had them feeling sick. That coupled with the scream that started to tear from Cas' throat, they paused for a few seconds, afraid they had done irreparable damage to him.

"I'm sorry Cas. We're doing this as painless as we can…"Dean whispered in the Angel's ear, hoping somehow it would be heard. Carefully manoeuvring the couple of yards to the exit of the warehouse, it seemed to take forever before the light of the moon was visible again, painting the Impala in a milky-white gleam. Carrying the Angel outside proved to be more difficult, the toes of his shoes scuffing the ground, getting stuck behind small plants and rocks. Adjusting his grip, Dean grunted with exertion. Because of the difference in height with Sam, most of Castiel's weight landed on his shoulders.

Reaching the backdoor of the Impala, Dean quickly unlocked it, before handing the keys over to Sam, who stared at them in near shock. "Sam? You mind driving her back?" Sam blinked, still staring at the keys in his hand, not believing Dean's words. He wanted him to drive his baby? He was only ever allowed to do that when Dean was injured, sick or drunk. Quickly nodding, he accepted the keys from Dean, who sighed, avoiding eye contact for the moment.

"Help me with Cas first, will ya. You get in from the other side and take him from me. I want him stretched out across the backseat. "Nodding again, Sam slowly eased himself out from under the Angel's arm, gently leaning him against the car. Hurrying towards the other side, he quickly opened it…

Holding the Angel upright against the car, he felt his head loll around until it rested on his shoulder. " O-Oliv…via" Frowning, Dean wondered what the Angel meant. Was that a name he just whispered or was it just a cry of pain. Steadying his hold on Cas, he sighed. "Just hang on, all right Cas. You're doing great…"

"Dean, you ready?" Sam questioned from inside the Impala. Blinking, Dean nodded, grabbing the Angel under his armpits. "You grab his feet, Sam" Together they gently manoeuvred Cas inside. While Sam pulled him as close to the door as possible, Dean tried to position him in a way that would hurt his back the least. Gently lowering the Angel's head on the backseat's leather, he noticed the blood that stuck to his hand as he pulled it back. He had thought that Cas had been able to heal all his bleeding wounds, but apparently that was not the case. But than again, maybe this one had reopened because of their movements. Taking off his jacket to use as a pillow, Dean softly closed the door, as Sam closed his, noticing that the smaller man fit precisely between them.

Adjusting his rear-view mirror, Sam cast a glance at the still form on the backseat. At least now he was no longer alone, now they were able to take care of him for once, after all the Angel had done for them…

_XXX_

Two hours later found them at the motel. The ride back had been quiet and a bit longer now that Sam was driving, being more careful with the law as Dean had been…

Now the unconscious Angel was lying on the bed closest to the heating. Sam cranked the heating up to its highest, while Dean made to untie the man's eternally present tie. The Angel was shaking like a leaf. But before they could do something about that, they had to check how serious his injuries really were. It was standard procedure by now for the brothers. First wounds, than rest.

The shaking worsened when Dean lifted his upper body from the matrass, peeling both the rain coat and the suit jacket of the slim shoulders; the spot under his head already colouring red with blood.

"It feels so wrong to undress an Angel, you know" Dean murmured, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Seeing him like this is wrong in any way Dean" Sam responded, before straightening. "I'll go get the first aid kit"

"Righto. Don't forget to close her again!" Dean yelled after his brother's retreating form. After hearing the mumbled reply, he shouted again, grin lighting his face for a moment. "Don't you roll your eyes at me…Bitch!"

Taking up a position on the edge of the bed, he gently started unbuttoning the bloodied and cinched white dress shirt, while listening to the creaking of the Impala's doors. "She needs to be oiled" Dean briefly thought, before returning his attention back to Castiel, as his breathing suddenly became shallower. His face, which had been peaceful up to now, scrunched up in a pain filled frown. "Mhhmmm…."

"Cas? You there?"

The Angel visibly struggled to gain consciousness again. But just before the fluttering eyelids opened fully, Castiel's body suddenly went completely slack again and sighing, his body returned to his former state of being oblivious to the world around him…

Carefully keeping an eye on him, Dean continued with his task of undressing the Angel. He would have never lived it down if the Angel woke up to that…

Sam returned to the motel room with the first aid kit, just as Dean pulled Castiel's arm out of the left sleeve. "Wow…" Dean couldn't help but exclaim in shock, as huge bruises suddenly showed, the black and blue colours spreading out around the Angel's heart and lungs.

"What the Hell?" Dean exchanged a shocked look with his brother, not used to those words coming out of his little brother's mouth. "That must have been one hell of a beating, Dean. He's lucky to be alive if you ask me…"

XXX

A/N Aranna Undomiel:

Thank you for those who complemented me for the translation, that's always great to hear :D And as for EtherealSiren: I've taken your advice to heart, hope you'll find it easier to read now. And don't worry to give me advice, I'll gladly accept it. After all, English is not my first language, so I'm sure there will always be some things left that can be improved ;)

A/N 2:

Thanks for all the great reviews. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story!

X

Josi


	4. Chapter 4

Looking at the still form on the bed, they tried to decide where to start.

"Maybe we should clean him up first before bandaging him, Dean. Without Cas' healing abilities, the chance of infections is much larger…"

Glancing at his brother, Sam expected a harsh reply to be directed his way, but nothing was coming. His brother looked beyond tired, shoulders sagging, his whole posture nearly screaming defeat. "That's fine Sam, I'll go get some clean towels" Dean raised himself of the bed, walking slowly out of the motel room. It had been a long day and it wasn't over any time soon either…

Returning his attention back to Castiel, he took a closer look at the pattern of the bruising around the Angel's heart. They looked to be shaped in the form of a fist; studied from even closer, he could nearly see the outlines of fingers on the bruised flesh. Shaking of the nauseating feeling at the idea that someone had pushed his hand straight through Cas' chest, he noticed the Angel's breathing becoming irregular. The rise and fall of his chest accelerated, as his right hand got a desperate hold on the sheets beneath him, clenching and unclenching, like he was trying to find something to hold on to. Soft cries escaped from between the Angel's lips and his facial expression was raw with fear. Sam, who had been moving towards the injured Angel, nearly jumped back as his eyes suddenly flew open.

"Agh…nooo…! W-wha…happ'nd" A wail started to tear from his throat, eyes roaming from left to right. Sam, recognizing the man by his tone of voice and his behaviour, stood rooted in shock for a moment. This was Jimmy again…

Voice trembling slightly, Sam tried to get the panicked man's attention. "Jimmy? It's okay, man. It's me, Sam Winchester? You're going to be okay, you hear?" Taking a deep breath, Sam mentally cursed himself at the insecurity in his own voice. How was he to comfort Jimmy if he wasn't even sure himself? Sinking on the bed beside Jimmy, he gently took hold of his shoulders.

Finally, the man's eyes settled on the younger Winchester's face, blinking up at him. "S-Sam? Yeah…Dean's…brother…"

"It's all right, Jimmy. Try to keep still" Jimmy tried to focus on Sam, but his eyes started to droop again. Sighing in relief, Sam made to stand back up, when Jimmy's eyes once again flew open.

"Amelia…shot me! Oh my God…Claire…okay?" Sam frowned, remembering what happened the last time Castiel had left his vessel's body. Didn't Jimmy remember anything after that? He debated telling the man what had happened since, but quickly decided against it. It would have sounded crazy and unlikely to Jimmy when he was feeling well, but for his befuddled mind it would be impossible to grasp now. It would only lead to more panic. When he was better, they would tell him, but for now he had to stay calm first…

"Shhhhh, Jimmy, calm down. Your family's fine, they're safe now" Jimmy focused his blue eyed stare on him, the pupils blown wide, trying to understand. Sam couldn't help but feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Huh" he thought "Guess Cas learnt it from the best…"

Those blue eyes swiftly became unfocused again, the effort it took too much for the injured man. The emotions flew in quick succession over his face; pain, fear, distrust. Sam couldn't blame him, after all, last time he hadn't been too kind to the man. Sighing he tried again: "Jimmy, your family is safe. If you want I can try to contact them. But you've got to stay still, you hear. We think your back is broken…"

His body stilling at last, the man sighed in defeat "O-Okay" His breathing came out in short puffs, a rattle nearly audible with each one. The eyes, unfocused, blinked frequently, trying to fight the pull of unconsciousness... "I...feel...him" he whispered, the sound so soft, that Sam moved closer. "You mean? Castiel?" he asked gently, not wanting to make the man feel even more uncomfortable by sitting too close. After all, they hardly knew each other. They knew him only as Castiel, and that was a much different person than the man he was talking to now...

Jimmy nodded, glassy blue eyes once again searching out Sam's hazel ones. "Says...okay...Claire...wife okay...ugh..." His voice slowly evened out. "Castiel...sick...weak...Told...tell you..."

Startled, Sam pulled back a bit. He was surprised that Castiel and Jimmy were able to communicate with each other. But then again, they were linked together in this body. "Castiel is telling you that" Sam asked for confirmation, feeling a headache starting to grow behind his temples.

"Can't...alive...Need food...water...he stronger" Once again leaning closer to hear his words, Sam noticed the man's eyes were sliding closed, his voice trailing away. "It will be fine Jimmy, just hang on a bit longer. You're doing great. It's going to be okay, you hear?" Sam soothed, placing his hand on Jimmy's shoulder, offering comfort as the man groaned in pain and slowly slid back into unconsciousness...

XXX

Walking back inside the motel room, Dean's gaze landed on his brother's hand on the Angel's shoulder, sitting beside him on the bed. "You need some more time together Sammy. I could step back out you know!" Dean grinned as his brother shook his head, throwing a _look_ his way. Placing the clean towels on the table next to the bed, he stretched, his spine audibly popping.

"Jimmy was conscious, Dean. The poor guy" Dean instantly became serious again. "What? Did he say anything? Did he mention Cas?"

"He was really out of it, Dean. I could only hear half sentences. I think he meant to say that Cas was no longer able to keep him alive; that we now had to take care of that until Cas was stronger again."

"You mean food, water, showers? Things like that?" Dean asked, sounding hesitant.

"Yeah, something like that Dean." Nodding, Dean sighed. "Well, let's start with cleaning him up then, wouldn't want him to stink up the place. Why don't you see if you can find a large bowl to put some water in? I think a trip to the bathroom will be a little too much for the big guy."

Sam nodded, walking to the cupboards to do just that. He knew Dean was nearly ready to fall face first on the bed, the cheerfulness too much of an act. After having spent so many years together on the road, he knew every habit his brother had, even the ones he denied having. But he just went along with it; leave it to his brother to lighten the mood in these situations. It would help them get through the night and hopefully so would Jimmy...

XXX

"The back of his head isn't looking that great, Dean" Sam had turned Jimmy on his side to take a better look at the wound on his skull. They had aimed a small bedside lamp at it, Dean trying to assess the damage after carefully cleaning the blood away.

"Yeah, I know, we should stitch it up. But what about the damage inside, huh? He probably has a concussion, maybe even worse. Combine that with his broken back, it equals problems to me!"

Sam aimed the lamp to get a better look at the man's head, not responding to his brother's outburst, irking him further. "Sam, you listening, dude? Checking Cas for head lice or something?"

Closing his eyes, Sam fought to keep his calm. "I'm thinking Dean! Take it easy all right…!"

A heavy silence settled between them for a moment…

"Cas said no hospital, Sammy. Maybe…" He was quickly interrupted by his younger brother. "Cas is sick Dean, look at him. He can't help Jimmy, he even said so! It's up to us to decide!" Dean ground his teeth together, the muscles in his jaw bunching together. "Well then Mr. Know-it-all, what are _we_ going to decide?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out Dean."

"Well better think fast then!"

"Well, if you'd stop yelling at me for a sec, then maybe I'd be able to!"

Sighing, Dean placed the cloth he was holding in his hands back in the bowl, leaning back against the wooden back of the cheap motel chair. "Sammy…" Dean yawned loudly, leaning backwards with his chair, balancing it on its two back legs. "What Dean?" Sam questioned. "We could call Bobby to see if he maybe knows a doctor we can trust. That way we'll have both our ways…"

Looking up in surprise, Sam realised that could work.

"How about that dude that patched you up when you were real ill? John, Jane…what's his name?"

"Josh"

Dean smiled. "Yeah that's right. That dude was so cool. He gave me this I-pod he got out of the stomach of a six-year old. I think I still have it lying around the Impala somewhere. Totally awesome" Sam shook his head in exasperation, the whole thing still sounding rather disgusting to him. The fact that the I-pod still had been playing Justin Bieber even after being swallowed was just gross.

"Yeah, well, that's your opinion. The doc gave it to you for your birthday, right?" Dean laughed, a real laugh this time. "He cleaned it. And it still works fine!"

Their fighting and banter had awoken Jimmy once again. Consciousness coming before remembrance, he tried to lift his upper body. Pain shot through his body, his breathing hitched and his vision blackened again.

"Jimmy, calm down. Easy dude" Dean and Sam both dove towards the man, holding him down by the shoulders. The bowl with water toppled as Jimmy's hand slammed against it. Desperately trying to get hold of the flailing limbs, they couldn't prevent the little lamp from crashing to the ground, small blue sparks dancing across the red motel carpet.

"Jimmy! STOP!" Dean tried to get through to the frantic man.

"No…don't y-yell…please…" Jimmy tried to scream, sounding terrified, his hand connecting with Dean's jaw, tears streaming down his cheeks…

"Easy Jimmy…Try to stay still" Sam soothed, placing his hand on Jimmy's shoulder, trying to get eye contact. Dean had taken a step backwards, grabbing the first aid kit and the now empty bowl from the bed. The lamp was emitting a burning smell and Dean swiftly pulled the plug out of its socket before they would have to explain how they managed to set fire to the room. Meanwhile Jimmy seemed to calm down somewhat, or maybe he was just too exhausted to keep going on with screaming. He cried and moaned while Sam continued talking to him, until finally Jimmy seemed to recognise his surroundings at bit more.

Dean walked over to the door where he had hung his leather jacket. Ignoring the bloodstains on it, he pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna go call Bobby" he said to the room, turning to look at his brother, who looked back at him, the same desperate look on his face…

XXX

AN: Poor Jimmy…Just because an Angel is afraid of hospitals he should suffer. Then again, he'd be rather lonely in hospital. And who doesn't want to be taken care of by the Winchesters ;)

X

Josi

AN Aranna Undomiel:

Don't blame me for Jimmy's problems, I'm just translating…lol Thanks for the lovely reviews :D And I apologize for the tardiness of this chapter. Real life got me in somewhat of a chokehold, which made it difficult to find the time to translate it. Hope you enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

_Bobby's place_

Bobby was a man with many contacts. He knew a lot of hunters by name, even knew some by their last names. Most he had worked with in the past. Sometimes they owed him a favour, or the other way around. Not that he kept count, really. Not these days at least…there were not many opportunities to work with anyone now, so he would take whatever came his way. Everything was better than this silence, this living in a near vacuum…

Now he was the go-to-guy for questions about creatures the other hunters came across. The ones that were rare and they only knew vague details about. He would look things up for them; that was his job these days. The only thing he could do without his legs, the only way he would feel slightly less useless… At least that was what he was trying to tell himself, but every time the boys would call him, he would sink deeper into the dark hole in his soul. Hearing about the problems they would get themselves in, while he was only able to sit by, literally, and do nothing but hope they would come out alive again. In the old days he would take a car and drive up to the boys, help them, really help them in their hunt. Not this babbling on the phone, trying to pretend everything was fine.

Sighing, Bobby risked a glance at the clock, silently ticking away the seconds of another useless day. Who was he kiddin'? John's boy didn't need his help; they hadn't really needed it for years. Dean and Sam were all grown up now, not the lanky teenagers John had dropped off at his place all those years ago. Laughing to himself, he silently cursed John. He trained those boys well, but they had taken the same path as he did, being just as reckless as their daddy sometimes. Dean was very much like him, acting before thinking. And then Sam, a perfect mix of mother and father. John's stubbornness and the gentle nature of Mary.

Lost in his thoughts, he belatedly realised that the phone had been ringing for quite a while. Wiping a tired hand across his face he wheeled himself to his desk. "Singer"

"Hey Bobby, it's me" Blinking, Bobby stared at the phone for a moment.

"Been a long time, son. How you and Sam been?" he asked, sounding slightly gruff, the only thing betraying his dark thoughts from earlier.

"Listen Bobby, we need your help with something" _Here we go again_ Bobby thought as he wheeled towards his stack of lore books. "What is it? How big and where?"

"Well, it's not really about a job, Bobby. It's uhm difficult to explain" Dean explained hesitantly on the other side of the line, falling silent after that. Waiting patiently for the next words, he suddenly heard screaming, mixed with Sam's raised voice pleading for calmness. Sitting up straighter in his wheelchair, he addressed Dean: "Well spit it out, boy! Ain't got all day!"

"It's Cas. He's uhm, not himself at the moment…" Bobby frowned, both at the uncertainty in the boy's voice and the fact that he called about the Angel.

"So that was Cas I just heard?"

"Yeah, sort of…It's Jimmy actually, the uhm owner of Cas' body or whatever. He's been in an accident. And because of Cas being in his head, we don't want to take him to hospital, you know, so…" Dean was suddenly interrupted by a second scream; loud enough that he could easily make out what it screamed…_Back…agh….why….CASTIEL! Help…"_

"Sounds like you boys could use some help over there. What the hell happened to him?" Another ink black cloud of uselessness crept over Bobby. He could hear the panic in the boy's voices as they tried to calm the Angel down, knowing he was in no position to help them…

"We think his back is broken, Bobby. And he has a pretty nasty head wound. Cas says he's too weak to heal Jimmy. So we thought maybe you'd know a doctor who…"

"Who'd be available to come by and fix the man? Idjits! That man needs a hospital!" It was silent for a while on the other side of the line. He heard Sam in the background, asking his brother what he'd said. Sighing, Bobby started up again, venting his own frustration along with it. "I should be there to smack you on the head, son. When the injuries are too big to be taken care of by yourself, you go seek out a hospital! You've been taught better than this. That Jimmy-boy isn't a hunter, so stop treating him like one, you hear!"

Another stretch of silence greeted him, broken by soft moaning; Sam talking to Dean about high temps and shock.

"Boy!" He said; making sure he had Dean's attention again. "Give that man something for the pain. And Dean, there is a Doctor Conner working in the local hospital, a few miles from where you're staying. Ask for him, 'right. He knew your Daddy" His voice softening almost imperceptibly as he spoke, but he knew Dean would pick up on it.

"Thanks Bobby, we owe you once again" Dean responded, the screaming in the background dying down to sobs.

"Let me know how it turns out, you hear?"

"Will do. And Bobby, take care, we'll be swinging by soon, promise!" Silence settled once more as Dean ended the call, allowing Bobby to sink back in his dark thoughts…

XXX

_In front of the local hospital_

The poor man had been totally out of it since Sam and Dean had managed to carry him back into the Impala. Which was a good thing, considering, for both sides. The man could use the rest it offered and the oblivion from all the movement. And though they were loath to admit it, the brothers were also grateful for the silence, the man's screams fraying their already thin nerves, even though Sam knew it could be dangerous for a man with head injuries to fall asleep. He had tried to bandage the head wound as well as he was capable, but it was no use, it kept bleeding. While Dean brought the Impala to a halt in front of the hospital, Sam nearly ran out of it to try and find Doctor Conner.

Sighing, Dean stared at the sliding doors closing behind his brother's tall frame. Turning to look behind him as Jimmy started moaning softly again, he waited for his brother to return. They had given the man some strong painkillers, but apparently the pain was even stronger. Dean couldn't imagine how it felt for your back to be broken. Or for that to be the first feeling you had after being trapped in your own body for months. But most of all he worried about Cas, fearing that maybe there was something even worse going on with him and Jimmy than he and Sam thought…

**AN:**

**Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I'll make it up to you next time :D Please let us know what you thought of this one. Pretty please ;) **

**X**

**Josi^^ & Aranna Undomiel**


	6. Chapter 6

It took a total of 10 minutes before a gurney was wheeled towards the Impala; Dean had been counting every second of it. Sam was walking in front, his long strides leaving him well in front of the tall male doctor and female nurse. Sitting up straight, Dean fought down the urge to turn the Impala around at the sight of all the medical equipment attached to the gurney. Getting out, Dean hastened towards the side door, opening it to give the hospital staff access to Jimmy, but he couldn't make himself let go of the handle. "He's in here" he said, pointing towards the backseat. "Thank you, Mr Winchester, your brother already informed us of the problems Mr Novak has. My name is Doctor Conner" The doctor extended his hand and Dean hesitantly shook it, sharing a quick look with his brother. "I've met your father once; it's been a while since he's been here. But considering I'm a doctor, I guess that's a good thing, don't you think..." The older man smiled at him.

Meanwhile the nurse had become restless, apparently all too aware that once the doctor started on his tales of the past; there was no stopping him anytime soon. She peered inside through the open door, holding a padded neck-brace in her hands. Sam moved forward to help her once she moved to get inside the car. She was a petite woman, looking almost too young to be a nurse already. The slightly panicked look in her eyes told him that she hadn't seen many traumas yet come through the doors of the hospital. Her small hands curled around the plastic as Sam held the door for her.

"Can I help you with something? You need to watch out for his head, he's got a pretty nasty wound on the back" Sam said. The nurse turned her eyes in his direction briefly, before turning her gaze back to the patient. Sighing, Sam turned his attention to the conversation still going on outside.

"Yeah, uhm, we really appreciate your help, Dr Conner. Jimmy is a good friend of ours, so that's why we're here." Dean said, trying to keep the smile on his face. Why didn't the doctor do something? Weren't all doctors supposed to go in overdrive when a patient was wheeled in, like in all those medical shows? Not that he ever watched those mind you, he'd just heard that was the case...

Dean nearly sighed in relief as the doctor finally cast a glance at the unconscious man. Bending down, he looked over the shoulder of his nurse, who by now had fastened the neck-brace. Sharing another look over the roof of the car, their grimaces said enough for each brother about what the other thought about the strange doctor...

"Oh my, that doesn't look too good, no. May I inquire as to what happened to the young man?" Hesitating, Dean tried to come up with a logical explanation for Jimmy's injuries, when Sam stepped in, like in the old days.

"We think it was a hit and run, we found him like this. Strange coincidence that we happened to know him" Doctor Conner nodded thoughtfully. "You did now. That's not very nice, leaving him like that." His voice lilted slightly at the end of the sentence, his face not showing any emotion at the sight of the wounded man in front of him. Dean felt his patience starting to dwindle.

"Yeah, uhm…_Doc…_ think we can do this inside? The man is in pain. He's suffered enough and he needs a doctor. So how 'bout you start acting like one!" The nurse made a startled noise at his outburst and quickly glanced up at him before casting her eyes down again, her behaviour raising more questions for him. Doctor Conner coughed, as the moment passed by slowly. Sam started rocking on the balls of his feet, feeling the awkward tension between the small group of people.

The nurse was the one to finally break it. "Excuse me Doctor Conner. Mr Novak is ready for transport?"

XXX

In the end Jimmy was lifted out of the car by the brothers, the nurse helping to position him safely on the gurney. Finally a little activity started; once inside two more nurses moved towards them. Doctor Conner spouted some medical terms and Sam and Dean were quickly ushered away to the waiting room, leaving Jimmy in the hands of the medical professionals. Dean released the tension in his shoulders that had been building there since he met Doctor Conner, rubbing his sore eyes. Silence set over the brothers, as he sank into one of the plastic chairs standing in neat rows along the walls of the room. Sam sighed, shaking his head slowly, before folding his long frame into the chair next to him. "Don't know about you, but that guy gives me the creeps, Sammy" Sam just nodded, his gaze encouraging him to continue. "The way he was acting, I wonder if we did the right thing in bringing Jimmy here. And I most definitely don't like having to sit here and wait. Remember what happened last time we left him alone." Arching his back, he finally settled for resting his head in his hands, elbows leaning on his knees.

Sam nodded. "The man knew Dad. And Bobby knows him. He may be one straw short of the cuckoo's nest, but I'm sure he's just fine as a Doctor." Dean sighed again, the tension in his shoulders slowly lessening, gaze focusing on the grey tiles on the floor…

After waiting for however long it was, suddenly two white shoes positioned themselves into Dean's line of sight, a modest cough pulling his attention upwards along the lithe body, clad in a white dress, ending at the person's face. A very stunning face, Dean had to admit, stumping his brother, who had been nodding off, on the arm to get his attention. The young woman with the long brown hair stared at both brothers with her almond coloured eyes, making sure she had their sole attention.

Dean sat up straighter, all too aware of his appearance after hours without sleep and water. "Why hello there, miss. Anything we can help you with?" He added his most charming smile, famous for winning over the ladies. Well, it usually did, it seemed this one was a bit immune for his obvious charms.

"Are you the men who have brought in Castiel?" Sam shot up straight too at those words, muscles tightening in preparation of action. Dean was suddenly at a loss of words. "Who wants to know…?"

"I am, what you could say, a distant relative. Where is he?" Her long hair cascaded around her face while she turned her head in different directions, looking at the hallways as if there would be a sign pointing her to the right one. Dean stood up slowly, intently focusing on the look in the young woman's eyes, or more, the lack of emotions in them.

"You're not gonna know if you don't tell us who you are, lady!" Dean dropped all pretences now, feeling Sam taking his place alongside his brother.

The woman finished her survey of her surroundings and focused her attention back on the brothers. "My name is of no importance. I seek Castiel and you refuse to point me to him" Her voice was gentle, but the lack of emotion on her face made her words sound harsh, almost bitter. Dean was suddenly reminded of Jo, when she was blaming him for what happened to her father all those years ago.

"Well missy. Castiel is not around at the moment. He's taking sort of a sabbatical you could say. So if you want to wait for him, take a seat and be my guest…" Dean gestured towards the white plastic chairs Sam and he had been sitting in moments ago.

Nearly sighing, Sam recognized his brother's tone; he was trying to be the rough and tough kind of guy he thought women wanted. But the young woman in front of them did not even acknowledge them; instead she turned around as if to start the search on her own. Knowing Dean's action before it would even happen; he took a step back, looking at the other people in the waiting area to see if they were paying any attention to them…

Grabbing the woman's arm, Dean turned her back around. "Hey hold on a moment there!" A strange and unpleasant sensation coursed through his body when he touched her wrist, causing him to quickly let go. It had had the intended result however, as the dark-haired woman stopped moving and slowly turned back around, until her face was inches from Dean's. Forcing himself not to move, his whole body urged him to step back, a strange cold emitted by the person in front of him.

"Y-you're an angel, aren't you?" Dean stuttered. The young woman laughed. "That was not difficult to find out was it? I am nothing like your kind"

Things suddenly seemed to click into place in Sam's head. "You're the reason Cas is hurt!" It was hard to describe the emotion flickering over the female Angel's face, before the blank look returned, but Sam guessed it was something as doubt. "You are correct. There is no reason to deny that. But that was something between Castiel and myself, _human…_"

Feeling his anger reaching boiling point at the emotionless declaration, Dean tried to control it, but to no avail. "So which one are you, huh? Umpty, Dumpty or Grumpy?" The Angel turned her full attention on the oldest Winchester and stretched to her full height. "I am Olivia"

Sam and Dean shared a quick look in confusion, never having heard that name as one of Heaven's Angels. "So Olivia, how 'bout you tell us what you did to Cas?"

Olivia blinked, another emotion swiftly crossing her face, before a threatening look appeared.

"My brother has failed his mission by listening to you. Now he has to be punished for his mistakes. All of Heaven's forces are looking for him now. My big brother, infected with Humanity, by you!" Her voice slightly raised in tone at the end, dying down as she caught the sad look on the youngest Winchester's face, the look reminded her of how Castiel had looked at her, right before she took his Grace. "My brother….Castiel will no longer be bothered by that, not after what I have done to him." Turning her gaze to the hallway, she noticed one of the men in white jackets coming their way, his eyes focused on the Winchesters. When the doctor briefly looked into the papers he was carrying along with him, a soft fluttering sound could be heard and Olivia had disappeared. Sam and Dean shared a confused look, trying to stop thinking about what the female Angel had told them, and focusing their attention to what the Doctor would have to say about Jimmy's condition…

XXX

AN's:

I'm really sorry for the lateness of this chapter. It's entirely my fault, as I got a bad case of the flu, so my head wasn't really up to hanging in front of a screen with tiny letters ;) But I promise from now on there will be no more delays!

~Aranna Undomiel~

Hmm, Olivia turns out to be a rather annoying little sister, Angel style that is. Well tune in next chapter to see where this will lead too, and off course what will the doctor have to say about Jimmy. And where is Castiel in all this?

Please review?

X

Josi


	7. Chapter 7

The doctor approaching them was much younger than Doctor Conner, much more fluid in his movements as he walked towards them; steps carefully measured. "Dean and Sam Winchester?" The light reflected of his metallic clipboard; the man's face seemed to slightly change for a moment. ..

Dean switched his gaze to the doctor, not yet really acknowledging his presence; Sam turned too, eyebrows nearly touching each other as he frowned. The doctor blinked, before grinning at the brothers. "Geesh. You must be really stressed out over Mr Novak's condition!" His grin quickly disappeared as he realised what he had said and he coughed to cover up his sudden nervousness, directing his gaze back to his clipboard. He seemed to be very relaxed, but Dean had met enough doctors to know that this was not a good state of mind. Obviously calm doctors usually meant really bad news, about Jimmy in this case…

"How is he doing?" Sam asked, hesitantly. The doctor once again checked his papers. "Mr Novak has sustained serious injuries that can be consistent with a head on collision with a vehicle at high speeds." Sam and Dean nodded, attention focused on every word. "The impact is centred on his chest; he hit the back of his head and broke two vertebra. The shapes of the bruises seem to be in the shape of a headlight; this seems to indicate that it involved a motorcycle. He is very lucky there are no further internal injuries. "Dean nodded, jaw tensed, unable to speak at the moment.

Luckily Sam did not have the same problem. "Can we see him now?" The doctor shook his head, turning his gaze to the youngest brother. "I'm sorry, that's not yet possible. He is still being treated for his injuries. Because this involves a hit and run, this means that photos are taken of his wounds before surgery. Mr Novak has still not regained consciousness but his overall condition is stable at the moment" Sam could not help but feel a bit relieved at that. "So he's going to be okay?" But the doctor shook his head. "Mr Novak was lucky with the outcome of this accident, but that was not all…" The Winchesters stiffened at this. They had never known Jimmy before Castiel choose him, so who knew if there had been something wrong with the man before he became the Angel's vessel. "There are some conditions that cannot have been caused by the accident, they are more long-term. For one, he is severely dehydrated and malnourished. His kidneys don't seem to function; he hasn't produced any urine so far. It would appear that he hasn't had anything to eat for at least a few weeks. This has damaged his entire body. This has raised a couple of questions as you can imagine."

The brothers blinked in shock, even though they had thought of this themselves just a couple of hours before. But hearing this made it all too real. Dean suddenly seemed to shake himself out of his shock like state. "Listen Doc. This man is a good friend of ours. But uhm, he can sometimes forget to take care of himself, you know. Sometimes we don't hear from him for weeks and then we get a call from Nowhere Ville. Jimmy tends to hang out with the wrong crowds, if you know what I mean. They push him to become clean of body and mind, to become closer to the Father and stuff…" Dean grimaced as he tried to convince the doctor. Why did it always seem so easy whenever Sam produced his tales? "So he'd be much safer if we knew he wasn't alone in the hospital for even a sec. Sam and I could take turns watching him, just to be sure. Would that be possible?"

The doctor blinked, completely confused by Dean's speech, mouth working but no sound coming out. Sighing, the doctor seemed to want to start to speak, when a nurse suddenly came around the corner. "Excuse me Doctor Mitchel, Doctor Conner would like you to scrub in now. " Turning back to the brothers, the doctor gave in to Dean's request without further wanting to waste time to discuss it. "I'll get someone to come and get you when surgery is over. We might even throw in a bed for you too…"

With that he turned and walked towards the OR's, leaving the boys slightly stunned…

XXX

When the doctor was out of earshot, Dean checked the waiting room to see if anyone would be listening in. Turning to catch his brother's eyes, he shook his head in disbelief. "Okay Sam, tell me I'm not going mental here. Did we just talk with a very hot Angel chick, who was looking for Cas? The same Angel that we think destroyed Cas' Grace? Dude, that'd be bad, right?" Sam nodded, frowning, looking at his clearly agitated and stressed out brother with worry. "Jimmy's not safe here, that much we know now."

Dean sighed, wiping a hand over his forehead, suddenly staggering backwards. Startled, Sam grabbed his brother by his arm, gently lowering him into one of the chairs behind him. "Hey Dean…hey. You okay, man?"

Head buried in his hands, Dean leaned back, resting his head against the wall. "Yeah fine Sammy. Just too much info for too little sleep I guess. My head feels like Cas zapped me or something…"

Gripping his brother's shoulder in a comforting way, he settled into the chair next to Dean. Suddenly Dean shot up straight, gaze clear again. "That Olivia, Sam, that look on her face for just a few seconds. Didn't that remind you of someone? "Sam just stared at him, before realising that his brother was really waiting for his answer this time. " You mean, besides her emotionlessness about the whole situation? Yeah now I think of it, she did. Just like Cas did those first couple of months….she was hesitant about something, she had doubt…" He tried to find the right word for it, but Dean already agreed with him, nodding vigorously…

A few minutes passed in silence. Dean's breathing slowed, becoming more even and deeper, as his eyelids continued to droop. No matter what situation they were in now, his body demanded rest after the eventful couple of days. Sam's voice brought him out of his slumber again. "I'll go get us something to eat and drink. Be right back!"

Biting back a yawn, Dean nodded. "That's great Sammy. I'll stay here in case the doctor comes back. "His voice was gravely with pure exhaustion. Smirking, Sam left Dean as his brother's head kept trying to lose his battle with gravity. Sam was always the one whose body could deal without sleep a lot longer than his brother's…

XXX

It took over 4 hours before they received news about Jimmy's condition. The surgery of his back had been successful and X-rays had been made of his head. Now he was vast asleep, many wires attached to his lithe frame. His heartbeat was steady, the soft beeps echoing through the small room. IV-lines transported fluids and painkillers to his body.

Feeling much better after four hours of sleep; knowing his brother kept watch over him during that time, just as Dean would have done if the situation would have been reversed. Looking at the still form in front of them, both brothers felt their worry return again. "Well, at least he's breathing on his own, that's a good sign right?" Sam asked, trying to be positive, knowing his brother's penance for worrying about family. Dean just shook his head. "Just look at him, Sammy. He's wearing a frigging corset to keep his back together! How can any of this be good?"

Sam pulled out another plastic chair from under Jimmy's bed, before directing his brother towards it. "Take a seat Dean. I'm going to go out for a moment. And maybe I should park the Impala somewhere else. Do you want me to get you something?" Turning around in the doorway, he noticed Dean had already taken his seat, rummaging through his pockets. "Here, take the keys, can't have you hotwiring my baby. I don't need anything though. Thanks Sammy." He tossed the keys in his brother's direction, who snatched them out of the air, before walking out of the room, leaving Dean alone…

The continuous _beep_ of the machines invaded his thoughts, calming his nerves. He didn't know how long he had been sitting here, staring at the rise and fall of Jimmy's chest, listening to his heartbeat increasing and decreasing in an intricate rhythm. The white hospital gown covering the wounds he knew to be hiding underneath.

Sighing, Dean placed his hand on the man's arm, careful not to touch any of the wires attached to Jimmy's hands. The skin was hot to the touch, obvious sign of a fever. Letting his mind get soothed by the rhythmic sounds again, he felt himself becoming sleepy again. Blinking heavily, he shook his head to clear it, when suddenly a voice from behind him brought him back to full attention. "Mr Winchester?" Startled, Dean whipped around to face the door, noticing the young nurse from before standing there. Smiling gently at her, he nodded. "Yeah, that's me alright."

The nurse stepped inside, carrying towels and toilet paper with her. She needed to stand on her toes to be able to place the items on the top shelf, Dean couldn't help but watch, feeling almost awkward as she suddenly turned around. "My name is Sally Vanderlou, I'm Doctor Conner's stepdaughter. I uhm…I couldn't help but overhear you know my stepfather?" She stuttered a bit, cheeks colouring as she spoke. Dean nodded, wondering where this was leading too, curious to find out more about the odd doctor.

"How long have they been married? Your mom and doc Conner? "Sally shyly directed her eyes away from him, shaking her head. "Two weeks now…" she sighed. Dean blinked. "That long huh?" Sally nodded, giggling slightly. "My mom, she doesn't know what she's doing. Doctor Conner is…well, he just is so emotionless, like he's there but not really" She shook her head in disbelief. Dean grinned, suddenly understanding her behaviour around the doctor. He placed a hand on her shoulder, grinning at her. "You have my sympathy" He winked at here and she laughed, opening her mouth to respond, but another voice suddenly sounded through the room…

"_Dean…"_

The voice was grave, and laced with pain. Both directed their gaze towards the bed, amazed to see the man's blue eyes staring back at them. But this was not Jimmy, the voice told Dean enough…"Cas?" He hurried back to the bed. Sally frowned as she slowly approached the bed too. "Cas? Who's Cas, I thought his name was Jimmy Novak?"

Dean looked over his shoulder at her. "Sally, would you mind leaving us alone for a bit?" The young nurse hesitated, eyes going to the door. "But…when he wakes up I have to…" Dean interrupted her. "Sally, trust me. Leave us alone for a minute, please?"

Making a decision, Sally nodded and quietly left the room, closing the door behind her as Dean turned his attention back to the person in the bed. Lines of pain were etched around his eyes, but the blue eyes stared back at him intently, trying to focus on Dean's face even though his eyes continued to droop. The Angel's hand reached for Dean's, who gently grasped it in his own, sitting back on the plastic chair. Green eyes were focused on the Angel's blue ones as he questioned him. "Cas, hey man, welcome back! Are you okay?"

XXX

AN:

*In a sing-song voice* He's baaaaaack!...Lol. Welcome back Cas, hope to see you back for more in the next chapter! ;) And more of sleepy Dean and awesome Sam off course too ;D Please leave a review to tell us what you thought of this chapter! It would make our day :D


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Warning beforehand. Things are not going like Dean wants them to, which equals foul language, so be warned when reading this chapter…lol. Enjoy!

XXX

"Dean…I...I'm…confused…" the Angel stuttered, his face portraying exactly that emotion. Blue eyes shifted left and right, trying to get a reading on his surroundings.

Dean quickly placed his hand on the Angel's chest as he moved to get up, catching the confused blues with his own eyes. "Cas, it's okay man. I'm right here. Just keep still and keep breathing, all right." The Angel finally focused on him, but the look lingering in his eyes was strange, Dean couldn't really place it. "Take it easy Cas"

Castiel brought a hand to his forehead and touched the bandage wrapped tightly around it, frowning at the feeling. His eyes once again rolled in their sockets, eyelids slipping closed, before shooting open again. "Wha…swrong….body?" he asked, voice heavy and slurring.

Blinking in surprise, Dean wondered what the Angel was talking about. _Does he even know what happened? _"You do know what happened to you, right?" Dean asked gently. "Yes" Castiel answered, frustration evident in his voice, but something else too. Something that didn't fool Dean in the slightest. Castiel had no idea what had happened. He looked back at the Angel who was now slowly muttering under his breath, eyes shooting in every direction, sometimes focusing on nothing. Dean couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was acting strange. He could only hope that this was because of the heavy painkillers his body was on and not the effects of something worse. Castiel's eyes closed as in sleep, but the speeding green line on the heart monitor told Dean he wasn't. Seconds later his eyes shot open again, once again keeping Dean captive with the fierce gaze in it, heart rate speeding up some more. "This is a hospital…" The tone lingered somewhere between statement and question and Dean sighed. "Yes Cas, someone had to help Jimmy when you couldn't" Castiel blinked. "Where is Sam?" "He's just parking the Impala, he'll be right back"

Somehow his answer only managed to agitate the Angel even further. He started shifting on the bed, arms flailing in hopes of getting up right. When the IV-line on his hand came into his line of sight he frowned at it. "What is this?"

Shaking his head in frustration, Dean raised his voice. "Cas hey…HEY! Stop fidgeting and listen to me for a sec!" He grabbed the Angel's face in his two hands to still it. Castiel started, trying to pull Dean's hands away. "Look at me! You need to stay calm. Jimmy is hurt pretty bad. You two need rest!" Dean listened to Castiel stuttering breathing, his worry growing. This was a side of the Angel he had never seen, Castiel seemed almost as nervous as Jimmy had been the first time they met him. Feeling something falling on his thumbs, he realised the Angel was crying…Tears were slowly rolling out from underneath closed eyelids as he was clutching Dean's wrists as if they anchored him…

Swallowing thickly, Dean felt a feeling rise up he had before only had with his brother when he was injured and vulnerable. Gently wiping some of the tears away from Castiel's cheeks, he spoke softly to him. "Hey man, come on. It's gonna be okay. Please stop crying. Angels aren't supposed to cry…" Castiel shivered at the word _Angels_. His small body stiffened as he opened his eyes, cloudy with tears, the blue nearly invisible because of the dilated pupils. His breathing hitched as his eyes once again drifted away…

"NO! Oh no!" The Angel suddenly cried out, both hands moving to clutch at his chest. Feeling useless at the moment, Dean released Castiel's head. "She…destroyed it…" Sitting back on his chair, Dean gave the Angel some space. "She?" Dean inquired. "O-Olivia" Castiel whispered, voice breaking as he spoke. Dean nodded.

"My fault…let her…Wanted…give her a chance" His voice slowly faded, the effort of speaking draining his reserves fast. It took a few minutes before Castiel had found enough strength to speak again. "I wanted to give my sister…the chance to avenge..." The Angel muttered sadly, his memories clearly coming back. The sadness in his eyes as he looked at Dean made the Winchester swallow thickly again. "I understand Cas, that other Angel and you share a history. You know, she was…" Dean hesitated, unsure if Castiel was capable of taking the information in. "She was here, Cas. Olivia was here in the hospital. Your sister? She was looking for you, you know. She somehow looked a bit like you, in the way she looked, the way she was talking to us…" Dean didn't really know what he wanted the Angel to answer, but he was just curious if Cas had a close relation with a younger sibling too. Maybe Angels and humans were not so different after all and that was somewhat of a shock to him…

For a moment, Castiel did not respond. His eyes closed as his heart rate once again sped up. The panic had given way to sadness. The last few tears streaked down his face as his body slowly relaxed, breathing slowing down. Dean felt awkward, not knowing how he could help him, not knowing what was going on inside his head. All he could do was show him he was there for Cas. He put his hand on the Angel's shoulder and gently squeezed it. Castiel slowly stilled, the lines of pain evening out as he sunk back into a peaceful sleep.

So Cas had let his sister get her revenge, let her destroy his Grace. Because he was feeling guilty…And now not only his body was injured, but his mind too…

XXX

Sam calmly strolled over to where Dean had parked the Impala, enjoying the fresh air after breathing in the stale hospital-air for so long. He felt sorry for Cas…Jimmy…both of them. But more, he was feeling for his brother, who could deny it all he wanted, but he was feeling guilty. Dean was the reason Castiel turned his back on Heaven and now this had happened…at least that was how his brother would see it.

Reaching the Impala, he stopped to look at the blood covering the back seat. His brother wasn't the only one who was feeling guilty. He should have taken Jimmy to hospital sooner. When he got into the car, he could even smell the blood, a bitter and coppery smell. Looking for a spot near the front, Dean's preferred place for parking, he slowly drove to the parking area.

"Sam Winchester? That is your name, correct?" Suddenly a voice sounded from the back of the car. Startled, the car swerved to the side before Sam managed to stop the car, unfortunately a small pillar was the thing that stopped them and Sam felt the impact clearly. But he was more focused on the person sitting on the backseat. His eyes grew large and his breath hitched as he got a good look on the young woman who had been speaking. "Olivia?" Sam stuttered. The young woman nodded. "But how did you find me? The symbols…"

"I followed you" The young Angel explained. Her gaze was calm and searching; once again the familiarity with Cas was clear. Sam breathed deeply, trying to get his heartbeat to calm down. The female Angel continued. "I wanted to know why my brother had chosen you over me" Her words were cold and harsh, but her eyes once again showed a bit of doubt. Sam nodded, feeling his fear dying down as he realised the Angel had no ill intent. But he could not fully relax. After all, she had been the one who had injured Cas. "Tell me Sam. Tell me about Earth. About you and the other people. What is it that makes you important?" Sam swallowed, this whole situation was so surreal…He looked back at the young Angel, who was trying to smile at him friendly, but not fully succeeding…

XXX

A soft knock startled Dean out of his slumber. The small nurse quietly opened the door to the room, barely daring to look him in the eye. Doctor Conner was following close behind, shutting the door, smiling at Dean, who swiftly sat up straight and released Cas' hand. Once again the Doctor gave him a bad feeling…

"Dean Winchester, I heard our dear Mr Novak had woken up earlier, am I correct?" Dean nodded. "Yes, but now he's sleeping again" He was feeling increasingly nervous because of the way Sally was acting. It seemed she was getting more afraid of her step-father by the second. The Doctor nodded, looking at the sleeping man. He took the clipboard that was hanging from the edge of the bed and flipped through the pages. It was obvious that he wasn't really reading it. The light reflected of the board, lighting up the Doctor's eyes. Blinking, Dean realised that he had seen this before and his jaw tightened…

Meanwhile, the Doctor patted down his pockets, before turning to the nurse beside him. "Sally dear, would you happen to spare me a pen?" Sally started, patting down her own dress pockets in search of the requested item.

"Never mind nurse, I've got a pen for Doctor Conner" Dean winked at her, seeing a blush creep up her cheeks. He handed the pen to the older man, keeping an eye on his reaction. "Thank you, Mr Winchester, that's very kind of you indeed." Still riffling through the pages, the Doctor grasped the pen in his left hand, only to drop it seconds later. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and smoke wafted through the Doctor's fingers. Sally screamed as she witnessed it, pushing herself back against the far wall of the hospital room. Dean focused his attention back at the 'doctor', who was glaring daggers at the hunter. Smirking, he pulled his gun from behind his back. Boy was he glad he followed his instinct in bringing it with him into the hospital. "Gotcha, you evil son of a bitch! Silver bullets, how do you like that, huh!"

Dean looked at the terrified nurse. "Go get security will ya. This man is not who he says he is" Too afraid to speak, Sally nodded, shuffling backwards to the door. The 'doctor' cursed, Dean's grin only growing in line with his confidence. "Tough luck, big guy!"

"You're not going to shoot me. I'm the only one who knows where the real Doctor Conner is." Dean growled; grabbing hold of the chair he had sit in minutes before, before hurtling it towards the monster pretending to be a doctor. The shapeshifter ducked and the chair crashed loudly into the wall behind him. Straightening, the shifter tutted. "Now now Dean, fighting in a hospital room? The room your friend is staying in even…"

"So, why Conner? So many options and you go for the loser bald guy? Was it the salary, huh?" Dean taunted. The 'doctor' laughed, evil grin spreading on his face. "Have you seen the guy's girlfriend? That old man certainly knows how to get the ladies. She is worth living in this outfit, believe me! Shame though her daughter is so annoying…" Shaking his head, the shifter continued. "I've been trying to find a way to get rid of her, but she was very useful so far, with all this doctor-stuff. I myself ain't so much of a people's person, if you know what I mean"

Dean sighed, why did all those monsters felt the need to elaborate. All it did was give him the time to think of his next step, tuning out the loony ramblings. The next sentence however quickly dragged his attention back to the shifter"...besides I knew there was a price hanging over your friends head there. Do you know how hard it is to catch an Angel, with them being all high and mighty…?"

Dean blinked in shock. "What?" So someone wanted Cas dead, not only Upstairs but Downstairs too. Someone who could control demons and order them to find the Angel and capture him. Maybe it was Lucifer…After all, he was still an Angel; he could sense the other Angels around him. Feeling his confidence slowly dwindling again, he realised the shifter had started talking again. "You made it so easy for us Dean" Dean frowned "Us?" As in, more than one demon was here in this hospital. Casting a quick glance at the sleeping Angel in the bed behind him, he realised he was screwed. Castiel would be of no help now…

"Really Dean, no offense, but word was out that the Winchester brothers were hanging out with an Angel. You were so easy to track down and then all we had to do was wait until the Angel flapped in…"The door behind the shifter suddenly flew open and Sally came back in. She was not coming in voluntary however, two men in security outfits pushing her in by the arms. Taking in their black eyes, Dean could hold in the curse. "Crap"

Moving his gun towards the new threats while still trying to keep an eye on the shifter, Dean felt his confidence reach below zero as another nurse walked in, eyes flashing at him. So two shifters at the same place, along with two demons? The famous Winchester luck had struck again…"Since when does a shifter work with those losers?" Dean wondered. "And who's the chick?"

The male shifter growled at this. "First of all, don't talk to her like that! That's my wife you're talking to! Second, why do you think were working together? Haven't you heard from the battle between Heaven and Hell, Angels versus Demons? We thought it was about time we closed ranks, chose a side, before we'd become extinct. And guess which side we choose." The shifter grinned at his wife and the two demons joined in with laughter.

"Yeah, didn't expect anything else from you lot, Lucifer would be so proud. So what do you win? A toaster? An all-inclusive to Hawaii?"

Meanwhile Sally was being handed over to the female shifter, as the two demon moved towards the bed; the young nurse was crying by now. Dean felt sorry for getting her involved. It was time for action, but 4 against 1 were bad odds, even for them. Speaking of them, what was keeping his brother…?

Sally started struggling against the hold on her. "Please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone, please just let me go!" Dean quickly assessed the situation as the demons moved to grab him. Taking a firm grip on his gun he aimed at the 'doctor's' heart and fired, before moving on to his wife. The move was so unexpected that for a moment, everyone in the room froze. Sally screamed before turning around and running out of the door as the bodies of the two shifters hit the ground. The two demons looked at each other, before taking a hesitant step back. "That's it, jack-asses. You go back to your boss now" Dean waited before they were in the right position to get the jump on them. But before he could, movement from behind him startled the inhabitants of the room once more. The dark-haired man had jumped up out of his bed without a sound.

"Cas!" Dean yelled, startled. Castiel looked around him and growled; his eyes focused on the demons. Panting and grunting, the Angel lifted himself of the matrass, dislodging the IV-line and heart pads, before throwing himself at the nearest demon. Putting a hand on the startled demon's forehead, the black-eyed man screamed in fear as yellow light poured from his eyes and mouth. The other demon was quickly taken care of too, all of it not even taking two minutes…

Silence set over the room as Dean stared at the Angel in shock, who was panting on the floor, kneeling besides the bodies. Suddenly an alarm went off in the hospital and Dean was finally able to move again. Quickly moving towards the Angel, he dropped to his knees too. "Cas...Your Angel-mojo is back!" Grasping him by the shoulders, he realised the man had closed his eyes and was clearly in pain. "Dean…leave now" he panted "They know now…that I…" His body started shaking so heavily that his knees gave out and he fell back against Dean, energy spent with the absurd action he had just performed. Positioning the Angel's head more comfortably on his shoulder, Dean's hand subconsciously rubbed circles on his back. "It's okay Cas, you save us man. Now rest or you'll damage your back even more. We'll take care of you, okay. We'll leave immediately."

XXX

He couldn't help but think what Sam would say about this. Going through so much trouble to get Cas to hospital…and now he was dragging the Angel back out. That is, if he could find his brother first…

When Dean had wheeled Cas, wrapped snuggly in blankets, out of the hospital, he noticed the police cars parked in front of it. The flashlights made the pounding in his head even worse. "So the alarm system is working just fine I guess…" Dean mumbled to himself, catching Sally's eye. She had been waiting outside the room when he excited, still looking scared to death. But she was carrying a large first-aid kit and her jacket. Without saying anything, she had joined him. Wondering what they would have to tell the girl, Dean figured now was not really the moment. And besides, they could use a nurse to help take care of Castiel.

"Dean…where is your car? And your brother?" Sally timidly asked, scanning the parking lot in front of them. Dean put the wheelchair on its brakes and fished out his phone. But before he could speed dial his brother, his phone rang. "Sam, where are you man? Are you okay" Dean's eyes scanned his surroundings, hoping to see his brother somewhere with the Impala.

His brother's voice was confused. "_Dean? I just woke up in the car; I don't know what happened…One moment that Angel woman was sitting behind me and the next I remember is waking up…Dean…she scratched me!"_ Worried about the drunken quality of his brother's voice, he quickly interjected. "Don't come inside, you hear! We've got Cas outside right now. There's been a fight and we've gotta go ASAP. Where are you?"

"_We? Who's we? You and Cas?"_

"And Sally, but I'll explain when we're out of here. So, where are you?"

"Wait, I can see you" The sound of a car horn, a familiar one for Dean, sounded over the parking grounds. Looking in the direction of it, Dean quickly spotted the Impala coming towards them. Shutting his phone, Dean grabbed the wheelchair and started pushing it to meet his brother halfway…

As he neared his brother, he could easily spot the blood coating Sam's face. Hurrying towards the Impala, he momentarily left Cas behind, trusting Sally to take care of the Angel as his brother now had become his number one priority. Sam was panting slightly, blinking his eyes as if he could fall asleep any moment. 3 deep gashes ran diagonal over the right side of his face, almost like claw marks. Quickly opening the driver's side door, he started inspecting Sam's wounds, ignoring his younger brother's eye-roll at his worry. Deciding the wounds were superficial and clean, he let go of Sam's chin. "It all happened so fast Dean. One moment Olivia was sitting behind me, asking me to tell about men, because she wanted to know why we were more important to Cas than she was. And then…she scratched me and then…I can't remember after that…And then I woke up a couple of minutes ago and called you; it was really strange…

Shaking his head in disbelief, Dean responded. "You're kidding right…why would she scratch you like that?" Sam shrugged, hands flopping upwards to emphasize his point. The silence that fell after that was broken by Sally's soft cough. "Right, we'll worry about that later. We got to get Cas outta here." Walking back to where Sally and Cas were waiting, Dean passed the front of the Impala. Blinking, Dean stopped dead in his tracks, eyes fixated on the front bumper of his Baby. "SAM!" Turning back to his brother, who seemed to get smaller under his brother's impending wrath, he nearly growled in anger.

Sam's eyes tried to avoid his brother's. "Yeah, uhm, she startled me Dean. You know I would never…" he tried to convince his brother of his innocence in hurting his Baby.

"Freaking Angels!" Dean yelled at the skies. He closed his eyes in an effort to get himself back under control. _There are more important things than the Impala, there are more important things than the Impala, there are more important things than the Impala…_ Dean continued to repeat this mantra until at last he believed it himself. He opened his eyes to find his brother looking at him worriedly and somewhat fearful. Sighing, he addressed Sam: "It's all right Sammy. I'm just glad you're still alive"

Sally suddenly made a comforting sound, making the Winchester's turning their attention back to Cas. The lithe nurse was holding the man upright in his wheelchair as he was softly moaning. He was moving his head back and forth, as Sally was trying to get him to settle again.

"Come on Sam; help me get Cas in the car will ya. We're taking him back with us" "Yeah, okay, but Jimmy…" Ignoring his brother's confused stare, he interrupted him. "Sam trust me okay, I'll explain on the way. He's not safe here. And Cas is back now. We gotta take him back to the motel." Without arguing any further, Sam moved to help him, as did Sally…

_XXX_

AN: I've written and rewritten this chapter a couple of times, before I was happy with it. It was a difficult chapter to write (and therefore equally difficult to translate ;) ), but we hope we've got it right. Please tell us what you think of it :D Reviews make our day!

X

Josi & Aranna Undomiel


	9. Chapter 9

The silence in the car had never before been this uncomfortable. Sally nearly tried to stop breathing as the head of the unconscious Angel rested on her lap, trying to be anywhere but there... Sam was purposefully not looking or talking to his brother, who mood was clearly portrait in the death grip on the steering wheel that made his knuckles turn white. Corners were cut too abruptly and the needle of the speedometer was moving too much to the right for the comfort of the other passengers.

Tearing into the parking lot in front of their motel, Dean slammed the breaks and quickly exited, walking around the car to open Sally's door. Sam had also gotten out and stared at the unconscious Angel, who was still…the first time since they had found him. No frown of pain or quiet moans escaped him. Sam wondered what was worse for the Angel's condition.

"You okay, Sally?" Dean asked her gently, trying not to startle her again. The slim girl nodded. "H-he needs to be cooled, he's temperature is too high" Dean smiled at her, nodding his consent. "We will Sally, as soon as we've got you too inside" Helping Sally get out, he looked over at his brother who had opened the door on the other side, causing Castiel's long legs, who had been slightly folded, to flop out, jerking the rest of his body. Almost immediately the stillness was replaced with a soft moan and shaking of the head. Bending back inside, Sally placed a gentle hand on the patient's forehead. Dean shot an angry look in the direction of his younger brother, who at least had the decency to look ashamed at his carelessness. "Jezus, Sam! Be careful will ya!"

After making sure the Angel had settled again, Sam gently took hold of Castiel's ankles and pulled the long legs out the car towards him, making sure to be as careful as possible. The Angel's dark head slid over the leather of the backseat, the bandage around his head catching on the stitching, causing it to slowly curl around. The bandage was already colouring light red, a combination of sweat and blood. Sticking his head inside too, Dean helped his brother get the Angel out.

"You got him Sam?" Dean asked before releasing his hold on the Angel's shoulder, shocked at the heat he felt radiating from the small body in his arms. "I've got him, you go open the door" His brother confirmed, the lifeless body held gently in his long arms. Dean nodded and shut his door, using a little bit more force than necessary. A soft pad on the Impala's roof and a whispered excuse later he walked towards the motel door.

XXX

Not having much trouble in carrying Castiel, who indeed seemed to weigh almost nothing, he waited on his brother, who was trying to ready the bed. The bed Jimmy had lain in hours before wasn't exactly sterile anymore; blood, mud and even little shards of glass smearing the once white sheets. The look on Sally's face had confirmed the bed would have fitted nicely in a horror-movie.

"We'll clean that up later, for now we'll have to do with the other bed" Dean announced, deliberately keeping his own gaze away from the blood and torn clothing too, not willing to admit the sight made him feel slightly queasy too. Fatigue settled over him once again, maybe from seeing the beds in front of him, not that there would be any sleeping soon.

Turning around he noticed his brother, still holding Castiel in his arms like he was carrying his bride over the threshold. But that image was distorted by the awkward position the Angel was in. Because of the corset, his back was held rigid, a stark contrast to the floppy limbs, dangling along his body. Castiel's blood had smeared over Sam's clothes. Blood from the head wound that had started bleeding again. And blood from where the IV-needle had been placed; having been ripped out when the Angel had jumped out of his bed.

Sally had already opened the covers and Sam gently positioned the Angel on the bed. Looking at the shivering form in front of them they quickly covered him with the blankets. Abruptly turning around, Dean walked to the door. "I'll go get your kit" he said to Sally, before walking back to the Impala.

XXX

This was the first time Sam and Sally were alone with each other. Silence hung between them as they sat on either side of Castiel's bed. Sally gave a quick smile to the tall man, before returning her gaze to her own hands. Sam smiled back at her. "How are you feeling Sally? Are you okay?" Sally nodded, before sighing and shaking her head, shrugging too. Sam sighed, he could understand that feeling. Getting up this morning, her day had been normal and now nothing she knew was the same anymore. Everything considering, he was impressed at how well she kept it together. "Just hang on a bit longer, you're safe here. Dean and I are going to help you" He bent over to give her a comforting pat on the shoulder, but stopped as she immediately shied away. Surprised, Sam pulled his hand back. "Sally?" "Sorry Sam, but I just…I don't want to be touched at the moment." An awkward silence filled the space between them, both glad that Dean came back in not moments later. He tossed Sally's coat on her lap and locked the motel door behind him, carrying in the first aid kit. His gaze swept suspiciously from his brother to the nurse, who had already put on her coat.

"Everything okay here?" He asked. Looking at Sam's face he had trouble not to roll his eyes as his younger brother threw the puppy-dog look in his direction. Dean noticed that lack of sleep finally seemed to take hold on Sam's face too…

Big steps brought him quickly to the end of the bed. He gently placed the kit on the blankets before giving Sally a gentle pat on the shoulder, who showed no reaction, she just kept staring straight ahead. Frowning, Dean decided to ignore them for the moment and focus on the one with the most issues. Cranking the heat back up again to help the still shivering Angel he noticed Sally got up from her chair and took hold of the first aid kit. She grabbed a clean bandage and set to work on the preparations for a new IV-line.

"I think we need to do some redecorating here Sammy, don't you think? Give me your knife." Sam pulled Ruby's knife from behind his waistband and handed it to his brother, before turning his attention back on Castiel, who had started shaking more and was frowning now. Getting up from his chair, he called out to the Angel. "Cas?" This got the attention of the others too. The three of them watched as the man suddenly started to speak.

"No…no! Not…Winchester's…." Shoving Sally out of the way in his haste to get to the man, the woman suddenly noticed Dean's bleeding palm. Surprised about the sudden wound she looked in the direction Dean had been standing. Gasping in shock she stared at the symbols drawn on the walls with a red paint….with Dean's blood! Moving backwards, she questioned once again where she had ended up and with whom…

"Cas?" Sam tried again. Dean noticed the Angel's eyes rolling around underneath the closed eyelids. He was probably dreaming, maybe hallucinating from the high fever. His gaze was drawn to Sally, or rather where she had been moments ago. Scanning the room, he saw her backing up towards the motel door, looking absolutely petrified. She faced them, back towards the door, hands hidden behind her back.

Noticing the change in his brother's body language, Sam turned to look at him, before following his gaze to Sally. His brother slowly approached her, moving with caution, not wanting to spook her any more. The nurse's gaze swept to the wall behind them, before staring at the brother's again. "What…who are you?" she stammered. The brothers shared a quick look and Sam also moved forward, coming in from the right, before stopping dead in his tracks as Sally's hands moved from behind her back, pointing a weapon at them.

Dean stared at the shotgun aimed his direction…his own shotgun, the one he had placed on the table when getting back out to the Impala. _Damn!_

"You just start with what those symbols mean and why you are painting them in your own blood!" Sally asked, anger seeping through in her voice, more confident now that she held them at gunpoint.

Slowly raising both hands in the air, Dean kept his steady gaze on the young woman, realising that after what she went through this wasn't that strange of a question. They should have taken more care of her…

"Sally, it's okay. You can relax. They're just symbols of protection, against demons and other…" Breaking of his sentence as he realised this would only make it worse, he tried again: "It's to protect us, including you and Cas against the things that wanna hurt us. Remember back in the hospital, well those guys won't be able to track us now, trust me…" Throwing his most winning and trusting grin in her direction he tried to accomplish just that. But the young woman in front of them kept moving the shotgun back and forth between the brothers. Luckily the way she was holding the gun had already told the brothers that she had never used one before, and she wouldn't now. That in itself was a relief to the boys. The young woman just needed some reassurance. And the fact that the safety was still on…well that's was one thing she didn't need to know…

Taking a deep breath, Dean tried again. "Trust me Sally, please. I know you're shocked by all that happened before, but belief me…At the moment, we're the only people who can help you" Finally he seemed to get through to the girl, as the tip of the shotgun slowly lowered to the ground. Waiting with baited breath, the silence was disturbed by a soft dripping sound. A drop of blood from Dean's hand hit the wooden floor and Sally's gaze hardened, gun moving upwards again.

Sam looked at his brother's bloody palm and smirked slightly, despite the situation. "Real smooth, Dean"

Dean sighed again, closing his hand to stem the blood flow. He figured it was time to start explaining, about what was really happening and what they were doing, no more sugar-coating it. But really, he kinda sucked at those things. Casting a glance sideways, his brother frowned at him in confusion as Dean suddenly started grinning. "Relax Sally, I think it's time that…Sammy here…will tell you all about what we do for a living. Don't you think Sammy?"

Sam opened his mouth in protest, but instead closed his mouth again. He blinked and sighed, before turning back to Sally, who was looking at him questioning. In the meantime Dean grabbed one of the gauze pads out of the first aid kit and pressed it against the gash in his hand. _Hmm, maybe cut a bit too deep this time_ …

Meanwhile Sam had started with his explanation: "Sally, Dean and I, we're Hunters. But instead of animals, we hunt monsters, like the ones you met today" Sally blinked, paling again, but the barrel of the shotgun slowly started lowering again. "You know all those things the fairy tales and myths talk about….Well we make sure those can't hurt people like you"

"So…my s-stepdad was a…m-monster? A…shapeshifter, you called it Dean?" She looked at Dean for confirmation. Dean nodded. "Yes Sally, that was not your real stepfather. This thing can imitate other people, by taking on their bodies and thoughts. Like uhm…Mystique from X-men! But then less hot and definitely slimier…" Very pleased with his comparison, he realised as he looked at Sally's that maybe that wasn't the best after all.

"A shifter? He was coming for Cas? Huh…"Sam mumbled surprised, not having heard that story yet.

Nodding at his brother in confirmation, he continued talking Sally. "Believe me Sally. They're not the nicest. Real difficult to catch too, because they look so human, but they are most definitely not. They usually work alone, but this time they brought some demon-friends over." The last part was for his brother, filling him in at the same time.

Sally opened her mouth, but remained silent, still too shocked to speak.

"So, what we need to do now, is fix Cas. And then we go and find your real stepdad and make sure your mom is okay, right Sally?"

Sally sighed, but slowly put the gun back on the table behind her. The Winchester's were her only option right now for finding her family. The thought of her mother being hurt made her sick, so she needed to distract herself from those thoughts. And what better way to do that then focus on a patient. "Okay, so, the patient head needs to be bandaged again, after this disinfectant crème is applied. Sam can you take his temperature with this? It's an ear-thermometer." Sam nodded and she handed the device over to him; the two brothers sharing a smile at the sudden bossiness of the frightened nurse…

Emerging back out from the bathroom, where she had collected a couple of towels, she filled a bowl with cold water and placed the towels in there. She lowered the blankets piled on top of the Angel, carefully placing the cold towels on his chest and legs. "This will help him cool" she explained. A bleep sounded as the thermometer did his work. Sam looked at the screen and frowned, before showing it to Dean.

"103? That can't be right?" Dean frowned too. Sally looked up from her work. "103? That can't be, show me that?" But the screen blinked its digital numbers at her, no mistaking those. Placing a hand on Castiel's brow, she felt the heat coming off of him in waves. Without hesitating she placed more cold towels on the Angel's body.

Dean finished the bandage around Cas' head and slowly lowered it back into the pillows. His hair was sticking out from underneath it in all angles and if the situation wasn't so serious, it would have been comical to see.

Wiping of his hands that had started sweating because of the heat that radiated of Cas, he wondered why this was happening. Cas injured, Jimmy resurfacing now and then, but neither able to heal. The Angel was supposed to be invincible; the only one he could on to help them in their fight against the Apocalypse. The only positive thing they had learned from the attack on the hospital was that, although Castiel's Grace was damaged, it was not destroyed. The way he had killed those demons with the touch of his hand proved that. There was still some Angel-mojo in him somewhere. And hopefully, Olivia wasn't aware of that…

The symbols on the walls would protect his friend, because having his Grace still, meant that the other Angels could track him…and if Olivia happened to show up, he would sent her far, far away!

They would protect Cas, just like he would do for them, and had many times before…

"D-Dean…_"_

Startled, Dean nearly fell out of his chair. "Whoa Cas, you're awake!" He had no idea how long he had sat there, but judging by the amused looks on Sam and Sally's faces, he had been staring of into nothing for quite some time.

XXX

Two blue eyes stared at the oldest Winchester, the lines of fatigue and the glow of fever clearly visible in the dullness of them. "I-I am sorry Dean…I was too late…" The Angel started stirring, trying to get out from under the wet blankets, but three pairs of hands quickly stopped him from completing that movement. "Easy Cas, damnit! You're sick, so stay in bed" Dean turned his sternest look in the Angel's direction, which seemed to have some effect, but not for long. Sam swiftly ducked as a hand came flying in the direction of his face, coming out from under the blanket. "It's not okay…not…okay" The Angel spoke, once more trying to rise. But this time it was his own body that alerted him to the fact that getting up was not a wise move. Moaning, he fell back onto the bed, exhaustion claiming him as he closed his eyes. "What…happened…me? Body…feels bad…" The same hand Sam had ducked before now grasped his own stomach, clutching it for a while, until his breathing evened out again.

Sally glanced at Dean. "Why does he keep talking in third person?" Dean turned his attention to the nurse. "He's an Angel. It's kinda hard to explain. Would it make you feel better if I told you he was a schizophrenic?" His poor attempt at humour was quickly interrupted by another outburst from the Angel. "Stop yelling, Jimmy!"

Sam frowned, trying to get the Angel's attention. "Cas, what's Jimmy saying?" He positioned himself in the man's eye line. Castiel looked at him, nearly cross-eyed in pain and exhaustion. "He…hungry" he panted. As if to prove his point, Jimmy's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. Castiel once again curled around his own stomach and Sam had to fight to hide his grin. This was something they could deal with, this very human feeling…

"Right…" His eyes travelled from Dean to Sally, before resting on the fridge in the small kitchen. "You think we've got something for Cas to eat in there?" Sam asked after another loud rumble, as the Angel nearly glared at the body he was inhabiting. Dean answered, as the wounded man started shaking again. "Not really, I think"

Sam had made his way over to the fridge, to check if there was really nothing they could give him. But his brother had been right, there was nothing in there. He guessed he should have trusted his word for it, after all, who knew more about food in their direct surroundings than his brother…

"My back…Dean…Dean?" Castiel sounded afraid and confused, glassy eyes searching for the familiar face. Dean placed his hand on the Angel's shoulder. "I'm here Cas, I'm not going anywhere"

"Dean, I'm going out to get some food, for all of us. Can I get the car-keys?" Sam gently asked, not wanting to scare the Angel.

Dean looked him straight in the eye, as he searched in his pockets, hesitantly throwing the keys towards his brother. "Be careful with her, you hear! One more accident, just the tiniest scratch and you're walking next time!" Dean nearly growled, Sam merely grinning as he walked out of the motel room.

Dean turned towards the nurse now. "Have you brought something for the pain along?" Sally nodded, immediately rummaging through the first aid kit. She opened the wrapper around a plastic syringe and needle, searching for a vial containing a clear liquid. Dean meanwhile subconsciously stroked Castiel's hair from his warm forehead. This clearly calmed the Angel, his breathing evened out and his eyes slipped closed as he leaned into the touch. Dean stared at the flushed face and sighed. Sally meanwhile had found a good vein and injected the liquid.

"This is a bit strong without having eaten something, but it's all I've got. A first aid kit isn't that well stocked in painkillers." Dean nodded.

"Dean…D-Dean…what…?" Cas voice trailed off, words slurring again, eyes rolling backwards, but Dean waited with releasing the Angel's shoulder when he was lying still again...

"When Sam gets back, I want you two to go and look for Doctor Conner and your mother" he addressed the nurse again after a few minutes. Sally fidgeted with the plastic wrapper and slowly nodded. "Okay Dean"

Dean nodded in response and returned his attention to the peaceful face of Castiel, who seemed to smile. Dean felt himself smile back…

"This situation has taken long enough…"

XXX

AN:

Well, took me a while to get this chapter out, because it turns out that watching the entire chapter 6 again takes quite some time ;) But now that I'm once again up to date, I'm totally back on track with writing this story. Not that there is much canon to go with this story, but still…;)

X

Josi

Please let us know what you think of this story. Reviews make our day! :D

~Aranna Undomiel~


	10. Chapter 10

"No…no...Not the Winchesters…" Castiel stuttered, looking up into the bright eyes of his sister standing before him. Her brown hair waved slightly in the breeze. He felt confused…only moments ago he had been listening to the brothers talking about him and now he was talking to his sister, but he knew she was not really there. It was odd, this feeling. Perhaps this was what Dean and Sam referred too when talking about 'dreaming'. He imagined that now he was weak, more of Jimmy's habits shone through, including this dreaming. But this was dangerous for him, if he dreamt the Angels could visit him, could find his ideas and could manipulate them…

"Listen brother. The Winchester's appear to be your weak spot, the other Angels know this. They will destroy them first, or torture them until you surrender."

"They can't. It is against God's orders. We must protect the Winchester in order to protect this world."

"Be silent brother. I know what God's orders are. But you know Zachariah; he is taking over the reins Upstairs, spreading rumours about our Father's absence…" She blinked, averted her gaze for a moment. Castiel took this moment to investigate his surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a green field filled with flowers. He knew this place, this was the Garden-Heaven made by the autistic young man with the kite. They had been here before; it used to be the place he and his sister came to talk when they were younger. Being in a familiar place calmed his racing heart somewhat, easing the pain in his chest a little.

"Castiel, I am serious. I am worried…worried about you." Olivia came two steps closer, towering over him by a couple inches. She pressed her hand against his chest. His heart sped up again; he wasn't in his prime condition, he had no chance to stand up against her. Blue eyes blinked nervously as she continued talking.

"Your body is worthless Castiel. The man you're wearing will never be able to walk. Your wounds cannot be mended by human hands. And you are in no condition to help yourself." Her hand was warm, the feeling spreading through his body. For a moment he felt content, love coming from his sister, their bond reconnecting. But she had betrayed him! He should not trust her anymore. His eyes flew open and his jaw tightened, frowning deeply.

"Olivia…sister. It is too late. I have stopped trusting you…" He grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from his chest, because it started to burn slightly. For a moment Castiel didn't feel anything, but slowly a burning pain spread from where her hand had been. Breathing became difficult and painful, his lungs felt like they were squeezed together. Maybe she had made the old wounds reappear, the feeling of fingers penetrating his chest. He tried to fight it; it should feel this painful in dreams, should it? But it was like he was reliving every moment again. But this time more conscious, every second seemed to last a lifetime. While he tried to keep standing, he stared at his younger sister. Disbelief and despair were evident on his face; at least they would have been to a human. His sister failed to read these emotions and just kept staring back.

"Your Grace has been destroyed. You will feel like you are being tortured if you stay inside this man, Castiel. "She stared at the panting man, aware he had not heard her. He was fighting his own battle now, blood dripping out of his nose and mouth, breathing heavy and laboured. He was swaying on his feet, hands gripping thin air as he tried to keep himself upright. "Stop…Olivia…stop…" Blood splattered as he spoke, falling to his knees as his legs finally gave out. Olivia sighed and reached out again…

Castiel was staring at his sister's shoes, mind in agony when she touched him again. Pain seared for one more moment before retreating into nothingness. Breathing became easier again, but the assault on his body had been massive, so it took a few moments before he was able to get back on his feet. He positioned himself in front of his sister, staring at her. His mind was still in turmoil, nearly broken. He felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes, a strange feeling for a former Angel. He sighed before addressing his sister.

"Listen Olivia. It…it pains me to see you like this. You are hurt by my absence in Heaven. You wanted to punish me for that, but you never meant to kill me. You did not want to see me caught…but you did one thing wrong, sister." Castiel's eyes turned a shade darker at this. "You've made me feel more than just the tortures Zachariah will cast upon me. But they were your fingers…your fingers giving me this pain, the worst I've ever felt. You've caused that, _Dear_ Sister" Olivia looked startled at this. "We are not much different than them, sister. " Castiel gripped her wrist, bringing it to his cheek, so she would feel his tears, catching one on her hand, causing his sister to shiver. "Feel it!" His voice sounded stronger than it had been in many months. "This is a token of grief. I am grieving sister. This is the worst thing a human can feel…an angel can feel…" Olivia's eyes grew slightly wider, jerking her hand away from his and taking a step backwards, staring at the moist spot on her finger. "You are crying…?"

Castiel nodded, looking at his younger sister as she wiped her hand on her clothes, when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of intense heat. It rolled in waves through his body, through Jimmy's body!

Taking a few stumbling steps back he grasped a wooden chair to keep his balance. Staring at the chair in wonder, he realised their surroundings had changed to a motel room. This was the motel room Jimmy was in…and the Winchesters were there too. "Castiel, where are we?" His sister questioned. He kept looking around as he answered her. "Our motel room…Jimmy probably…" he broke of his sentence quickly, looking at his sister in shock. Olivia nodded as she scanned the entire room, a smile breaking out as she spotted the name of the motel on a folder on the door.

"No Olivia, please don't!" Castiel nearly begged. This was his fault; his carelessness had given away their hiding place, putting not only him but also the Winchester brothers. A quiet ruffling of feathers told him it was too late, his sister had left already.

His thoughts running in all directions, all of it was suddenly pushed aside by Jimmy's voice shouting at him in his mind. _'Castiel, please, it hurts. Hungry…need to eat…or we'll die…Castiel? CASTIEL!'_

Castiel placed both hands against his ears, panic blinding him as the room around him turned black. Pain returned; the smells assaulting him made him nauseous and weak. He was feeling both hot and cold at the same time.

Another voice caught his attention by calling out his name. This time it was Dean Winchester.

'D-Dean…'

More voices sounded, but he could not make them out above Jimmy's constant crying and screaming. He tried to focus on the thing that had him panicking, what it was. He needed to warn the Winchester, but about what? Olivia…she knew! She was coming!

"Sorry…Dean…not on time" Castiel tried to explain, but the words came out different than he intended. All the different feeling mixing through each other, they were just too much for an Angel, who had never before felt this much…

He tried to clear his head, but his mind weakened with the minute and Jimmy's cries became louder, taking over his own thoughts. He heard himself talking, but he had no conscious idea what he was saying, the pain in his back too much; he gave up and let himself fall into the welcoming black, leaving the reins to Jimmy for the moment…

XXX

Sam pulled the Impala up in front of a gas station, looking at the small shop attached to the building, the only real shop in the vicinity of the motel. Stepping inside, he soon realised this shop was more elaborate than he originally thought. It looked clean and there were freshly baked sandwiches for sale. A woman was working behind the counter, putting fresh meat on the sandwiches and Sam smiled at her, thankful for small gifts. The woman, however, looked back at him grumpily, grumbling a "What?"

Sam's smile slowly disappeared. "Nothing ma'am. It's just been a long trip and I've been looking forward to something nice to eat, that's all." He grabbed a few sandwiches, reaching for one just as she put down another one, their hands bumping. Sam smiled apologetic at her, but to his surprise she smiled back. "You man these days! Always hurrying and damn…you grew tall. It must be all those hormones, if you ask me…poison I say. Just look at you, you're nearly a giant." Sam grimaced and grabbed another sandwich, before making his way over to the counter, picking up some cans of soda on his way. He hesitated at the spread of pies in front of him. Dean would be delighted, but then again, now was not really the time for pie. Thinking for a moment, he grabbed some anyway, not wanting to be the one to deny his brother his pie-cravings. He placed the sandwiches, drinks and pies in front of the old man behind the counter, who stared at him from behind his newspaper. "Dang boy, you must be real hungry there." The man said as he placed everything in a paper bag, before taking Sam's money. Sam nodded and forced another smile on his face, before heading back to the motel, his appetite already diminished…

XXX

XXX

_AN: Well, I thought, let's end with a little lightness after all the doom and gloom that is Castiel's brain…LOL. _

_Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, so please let us know!_

X

Josi & Aranna Undomiel


	11. Chapter 11

_At the hospital_

It took a rather long time before the last of the patrol cars from the local police force left the hospital. They had arrived a couple of minutes after the alarm had gone off, only to find that one of the patients was missing. Two bodies had been discovered in the abandoned hospital room, along with two piles of…well one the officers had called it 'mysterious goo', for lack of a better term. Agents were checking the hospital's security feeds to find the missing patient and the two men who had brought him in, tracing the patient's name.

Olivia was listening to everything the officers were saying, standing along the other curious spectators behind the yellow police ribbons, allowing a small smile as she heard the address the officers were being directed to. _Pontiac, Illinois_

She knew there would be nothing there to find, she did not fear their investigations; she knew where to find her brother and the two humans. She had checked out the scene for herself, taking in the four bodies, somewhat surprised by the feeling of power still hanging in the air. The feeling of someone's _Grace_. But she had been unable to detect from which Angel the Grace had been. She knew it couldn't have been Castiel's, for she had destroyed his for good. She briefly wondered which Angel would help her brother…Zachariah…or one of his soldiers? She quickly dismissed it as not important at the moment.

She made her ways through the spectators, walking towards the empty parking lot, preparing herself for the oncoming confrontation. She suspected that Castiel had already warned the Winchester boys, if he had been strong enough that is. And maybe he finally understood what she had been trying to tell him…

He was not welcome her on Earth among _men_, because he was not one.

He was not welcome in Heaven, for he was no longer a loyal soldier for their Father.

He was not welcome…

And all she wanted to help him disappear from the radar of the Angels. She wanted to force him to become human. As he wanted. Never able to go back home, back to her…what he deserved!

She closed her eyes, a strange sensation streaming through her body. She tried to walk, but something stopped her feet from moving…She thought back on their last conversation, staring at her hands, still able to feel the tears glistening over her fingers. It was…confusing. She did not think she would ever be able to forget the look on her brother's face when he realised it was over…so sad. Sad that his life would be over…like he had forgotten he was a Soldier of God and not a human being. She felt it was difficult to accept this difference, the change in her brother. An angry feeling surged up in her.

The Winchesters! They had taken her brother from her! They had changed him, infected him with humanity. They had made him turn his back on his family in Heaven. Castiel was a respected soldier, he did was expected of him. Until the moment came he freed Dean Winchester from Hell, the only one who had succeeded after many had gone before him. He had been a Hero, but not any longer!

Her anger surged and in response her Angel sword appeared. As she stared at the sharp blade, she realised that tiny drops of water were falling onto it. It had started raining without her noticing it. She looked at the darkening sky, drops falling on her face, the wind picking up until it fluttered around her. She startled, feeling another presence beside her…

"Olivia, my sister. Since when are you wearing a meat suit?" The voice was unknown to her and she twirled around, looking behind her at the Angel. A tall man around fifty years old, with greying hair and a wide smile on his face studied her, his eyes giving him away.

"Balthazar….Brother"

Trying not to show her surprise at his sudden appearance; her brother and good friend of Castiel. Ever since the beginning of her days, he had been there, the right hand of her brother. If you saw one, the other usually was near. But now Castiel had been deemed a criminal, a rebel, Balthazar had been absent too for a while.

Olivia stared the Angel down, smiling at him. Balthazar grimaced at her sudden change in behaviour. "I could say the same to you brother" Neither of them was allowed to choose a human to travel down to Earth. They were both in trouble if anyone Upstairs found out…

Balthazar's gaze travelled down, to the Angel-sword that was still in her hand. "Touché" Balthazar replied. "And what are you doing with your sword, again?"

"Listen Balthazar, this is something I need to do myself, brother" She slowly balled her fist, not willing to allow him to stop her from executing her plan. The other Angel tilted his head, nodding, looking at her with some surprise.

"Ah…I see. So you have found him than, I suppose? Well done sister. And now, what is your plan now?"

The silence stretched out after that, both Angels sizing each other up. The vibrations in the air were so strong that one of the light signs above the hospital-entrance burst out in a ray of sparks. Olivia blinked in surprise as Balthazar suddenly stood in front of her, gripping her wrist and taking the sword out of her hand.

"No my sister, you can't do that. You must know that?" His voice was calm and almost friendly. But his look spoke differently. Olivia stared at the other Angel in the eyes. "I care for him, you must know that Balthazar. Therefore it must be me, quick and painless. Before Zachariah will." Balthazar interrupted her with a snort.

"Zachariah? Pfff, that slimebag? Come on Olivia, he can tell us everything he wants and give orders like he owns the place, but he is not Father! And so he is not the one to judge over Castiel!" Olivia looked at him, surprise evident on her face. "I know what you did sister, and I am not the only one. Do you know what is happening Upstairs?" Olivia just stared at him and he sighed before continuing. "You are now a criminal, for taking it upon yourself to judge your brother without him being sentenced! You have been found disloyal, Olivia. So I'm warning you, before you do even more damage…"

Olivia froze, eyes growing big in shock. "Unloyal….N-no, that must be a mistake! I just wanted…"

"Olivia, sister" Balthazar tried to ease the shock as he took in her face. Sighing, he placed his hand on her small shoulder, trying to catch her eyes. "You are just too quick to act sometimes. Look, Zachariah is playing a game, with you as his pawn. What did you think you were doing all this time, Olivia? You're Grace is easy to trace; you think he didn't realise that? He's just waiting. He knew you'd find Castiel eventually, because Castiel cares for you. All he has to do is wait till you do and take you both….and probably me too…to punish us."

Olivia shook her head in denial, but stiffened when she felt another presence near them. Balthazar stiffened too, looking up to the dark sky above. Another Angel was trying to find them…

"What do we do now?" Olivia asked, trusting the older Angel's judgement, voice calm now. Balthazar focused his full attention on her, a surprised smile appearing on his face as he studied her. "You know, my young sister. The thing we can do best now is …well basically just get out of here as fast as we can. And try to think of something that will make us invisible for those Upstairs. Maybe you should try what I did, you know, fake your own demise…" Olivia raised an eyebrow at that. "What?" Balthazar just smirked at her, before reaching for the necklace under his shirt. An odd object in the form of an Enochian symbol appeared. Olivia frowned, reminding the other Angel of Castiel, strangely enough.

"What's that?"

"Our freedom…" Tucking the pendant back, he beckoned Olivia to follow him. Hesitating for a moment, Olivia thought about her options. This was the most logical at the moment. Maybe she should have asked Balthazar before she decided to go after Castiel…

"Come with me sister. I'll explain later. But for now, we are both in trouble" He patted her shoulder. Two distinct fluttering sounds echoed over the now empty parking lot…

XXX

_At the motel_

When Sam parked the Impala in front of the motel room, he could see the silhouettes from Dean and Sally moving through the window, both rather active. Frowning he picked up the shopping bag and closed the door behind him, eyes never leaving the window. "What now…?" he muttered to himself. Juggling his bag as he tried put the key in the lock, when the door opened in front of him. Looking over the top of the bag he stared at Dean, looking rather haggard. He was sweating and his eyes showed he had not heard Sam coming.

'Sam. Damn man, what took you so long? I figured you'd parked my baby against a pole again" He glanced around his brother to make sure that the Impala was unharmed, before doing the same to Sam.

Sam frowned at the stress in his brother's voice. "What's wrong Dean? Did something happen?" He glanced around the room, noticing the chemical smell. The wall was cleaned, the bed Castiel had been on had been changed and the bloody blankets were in a heap near the door. Sally was sitting on the ground, scrubbing away at the floor, as Dean continued to change the other bed, tossing everything in a garbage bag.

"You're…cleaning? Really?" Sam asked incredulously, relaxing when he realised nothing bad had happened. Starting as Dean yanked the shopping bag out of his hands, he watched his brother toss it on the table. "Yeah, you're welcome…" he shook his head.

Dean fixed him with his gaze. "So you haven't heard it yet? No guess not, judging by that blank look. We are wanted, Sam! Two men dead at the hospital, we're on camera bringing Cas in and taking him out! So now we're on the list of America's Most Wanted. So if I need to spell it out to you? That means: Beat it!"

Sam looked shocked, mouth nearly opening in surprise. "What?" He was sure he had heard wrong…but then again, with their luck…

Sally, who had come to take a sandwich from the bag, smiled at him shyly. "Sorry Sam. But they're thinking that you two also kidnapped me" Shaking his head, he gazed at his brother once again.

Dean meanwhile was shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and stared at the bed where Castiel was still sleeping peacefully. The Angel hadn't moved a muscle since the morphine had been given; the only thing telling them that he was still alive was the rise and fall of his chest.

Sighing, Dean muttered to no one in particular. "When will we get some rest, I mean seriously…" He continued chewing on the next sandwich, not even tasting what was on it. Sam hid his smirk at his brother eating lettuce as he planted himself on a chair, wiping his tired eyes. "What a week…" he moaned.

XXX

AN:

Bad Josi! I've been so busy lately, that I almost forgot about this story! Sorry! I hope everyone is still enjoying reading this. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

X Josi

Thanks so much for all the reviews, hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

X Aranna Undomiel

And off course, from the both of us: A Happy New-year. Let's hope 2012 brings all of you, health and joy!


	12. Chapter 12

As they cleared out all of their belongings from the various positions in the motel room it had ended up, it started raining. Heavy raindrops hit the window as Sam packed his toiletries back into his duffel bag, following the news report on the TV in the same time. Not much new was said; they were wanted by the police…again. It's not like they'd never had that happen before, but this time they had more people to worry about than just the two of them. This time they had dragged along Sally, who was worrying about her mother and stepfather. And off course Cas, who was not easy to transport with his broken back.

Sally and Dean were outside, getting the Impala ready. Sam looked around the room once more. Everything looked normal, aside from the broken lamp and the resulting burn on the carpet. Sam had placed some money on the nightstand to cover for the damage before he turned to shut off the TV. He turned to the bed Cas was sleeping on quietly, the redness in his face less prominent as his temperature seemed to go down; grinning as he heard the Angel's stomach growl once again. Leaning over the Angel to check on him, he was surprised to find two blue eyes staring up at him.

"Hey Cas, you're awake! How are you feeling?" He placed his hand on the Angel's shoulder, shocked by the difference in temperature since the last time. The skin felt like ice now…Cas looked at him clueless, blue eyes glazed over, no sign of recognition in their depts. Sam's smile grew. "Ah yes, morphine. Don't worry Cas, that feeling will wear off in a bit."

Suddenly the door swung open and a cold wind blew through the room, bringing in a soaked Dean. "Yo Sammy, you done yet? We're ready to roll." Realising Sam had been talking when he stepped inside; he quickly looked over at the Angel. Sparing a quick glance at his dripping form, he decided to not care about ruining Sam's cleaning job and marched over to the bed too. "How is he?" he asked worriedly, looking at Sam's hand resting on the Angel's forehead. "He's fine for now Dean, he's fever's dropped" Castiel sighed and shivered when Dean placed his own cold and wet hand on his forehead to check for himself. Dean chuckled and quickly removed it again when the Angel tried to squirm out underneath his touch. "Sorry Cas."

Another gust of wind entered as Sally opened the door, looking shocked. "There are two police cars in front of the reception. I think we should better get going?" Her voice shook slightly. Dean nodded, taking control of the situation. He turned to his brother. "Sam, get Cas dressed will ya. Use my sweatpants and one of your hoodies. And be careful with his back!" Sam nodded and started on his task. "I'll go fix that soup for Cas, the man is starved. Or wait, Sally, could you get the soup, so I can start the car and get the heater running?"

Sally nodded and walked to the little kitchen area. Sam had already started on putting on Dean's trousers on as gently as he could, but the Angel gave no sound of protest. Dean turned around and walked back outside, closing the door behind him.

While opening the can of soup and starting to heat it up, Sally looked back at the youngest Winchester, who seemed to have no trouble at all in lifting the lithe form of the Angel of the bed in order to put on his hoody. It looked to be a few sizes too big for Castiel and the sight made her grin. The Angel now looked like a little boy trying on his father's shirts...

Looking back down on his handiwork, Sam nodded in satisfaction. He placed one arm around Castiel's shoulders and the other was hooked under his knees. He started lifting the Angel from the bed, adjusting his grip until Castiel was securely held against him. He made his way towards the door, when it already opened to a stressed Dean. "Come on, they're already going 'round asking questions!" He grabbed Sam's bag and headed back out. Sally glanced at Sam "But he hasn't eating the soup yet" "Just pour it into something, he'll have to eat in the car" Sam responded and headed out too. Glancing around, Sally quickly found a plastic holder to pour the soup in, and holding it with two hands, she followed the brothers outside.

Sam was trying to place the Angel on the backseat, but Castiel was struggling, attempting to break free from Sam's hold. Finally able to put him inside the car, Sam frowned at Cas

"Relax Cas, or you'll hurt yourself!" The Angel turned glassy eyes towards him as Sally stepped in from the other side and placed his head on her lap, minding the soup in her hands. Shaking his head, Castiel started moaning, grunting out a string of words that confused the two of them. "No...no...Olivia...Sorry...Sam...leave..."

Sally frowned "Who is Olivia?" Sam was just a surprised. Off course he knew who Cas meant, but why start calling for her now. Lost in thoughts, he carefully closed the car door, before walking around to the passenger seat, folding his long legs in front of the dashboard and turned around, smoothing a hand through his wet bangs. "Olivia is Cas' younger sister...well sort of..." Finally realising Dean hadn't stepped inside yet; he turned his attention back to the outside of the car, to see Dean come running back out the motel room. His brother opened the door and tossed Cas's hospital gown on his lap. "Forgot this Sam, not a smart thing to leave behind!" His voice was tense, the stress of the situation clearly audible. Sam sighed "Sorry Dean, my bad" he fumbled the gown into a ball before stashing it in one of the pockets of the car, angry at himself for forgetting such things. _He used to be the one to think of such things._ Dean uttered a growl in response, eyes trained on the road as he peeled out of the parking lot.

Sighing, Dean risked a glance towards his brother, taking in the slumped shoulders and dark circles around Sam's eyes. "It's fine Sam…Why don't you take some rest, huh. You look like you could use it" A small smile lifted the corners of Sam, but he shook his head. "After we get out of here all right, you need me to check the map to see where we are going…"

Nodding his consent, Dean steered the Impala onto the Highway, feeling some of the tension escape his body. Feeling the tremors of his Baby as she ate up the miles of road underneath her, always made him feel better. Relaxing into his seat, he was suddenly back on full alert when Castiel started speaking again; flailing his hands so much he hit the chair in front of him. All eyes were turned towards the Angel in an instant; even Dean looked back via the rear-view mirror. "Go…leave…Olivia knows…we are." Panic was evident in his voice. Sally placed her hand on his forehead and made comforting sounds. The Angel seemed to listen to the soothing noises, as he relaxed slightly and closed his eyes for a moment. Sally shared a look with Sam. "No fever…"

Increasing his speed, Dean excited the Highway at a quiet road leading past some sort of harbour, while Sam kept his gaze fixed to the backseat, where Castiel once again opened his eyes.

"Listen….she was i-in my dream…Sorry Dean." Once again finding the Angel's gaze in his rear view mirror, he addressed him. "Sorry for what Cas?"

"For giving our location to her…Jimmy…confused me…Yelled so loud…can't take it…" Dean snorted at that. "Yeah you can say that about Jimmy alright, we had first-hand experience with his screams" He noticed Sam's headshake before his brother drew Castiel's attention to him.

"Okay, so…Olivia was in your dream. Like how you did that to Dean? What did she say?" Sam tried to ignore the itching of his scratches on his face, as much as he tried to ignore Castiel's shiver at the mention of that name. Castiel smiled faintly, turning his gaze upwards, for the first time really seeing the young woman above him, fixing her with an intense look. Sally looked at him in the same way, before she ducked her head and smiled shyly, removing her hands that had been stroking his hair as if they were burned. A pensive look settled over him "Who are you?"

"I'm Sally sir."

"Oh" was the only reply from the Angel, but the puzzled stare was still firmly in place, blown out pupils clearly visible.

"Cas, it's okay man. She's the one that helped you get better, in the hospital, you remember?" Dean tried to help him clear his memories. Seeing the Angel nod, a confused frown on his face, he laughed. "Oh man, you're still stoned from the morphine. You don't know who she is and where you are now!"

"I'm in the Impala" came Castiel's undignified response. He tried to get up, but a synchronously yelled _NO_ from Sam and Sally, and Sally's hand pulling him back down prevented that. The pain that resulted in his back made him think twice about repeating that action and he kept still after that. No one spoke after that for a long while.

XXX

After having driven around for almost an hour, Sally suddenly remembered the cup with soup she had placed in the holder in the door. Sighing, she realised it was stone cold by now. But Castiel hadn't been asking for food anymore, nor had his stomach made its wishes clear. The Angel was silent now, but alert. The brothers deemed this a good sign, a sign he was improving. Sally thought it to be strange…just like many of the other things she had experienced in the short time she had been around these three men. She was startled out of her thoughts as Dean started talking to her.

"Sally…I know you want to get started with looking for your mother and stepfather" He looked at her through the rear view mirror, after sparing a glance at Sam, who was starting to fall asleep, upper body bend over so his forehead rested against the window. His eyes were closed more often that opened, but his breathing pattern told Dean that he was not fully in the land of dreams.

Sally nodded, absentmindedly stroking Castiel's hair again. "That's true Dean. But I understand you want to stay out of the way of cops and stuff. So you just tell me what you want to do…" Dean shot a grateful smile towards her. "Well, I have had contact with an old friend of ours. He's got connections everywhere. So Bobby sent some guys to take care of that. So don't worry, as long as we stay out of the picture there will be no problem."

"Oh, I thought you were going to help me find them, Dean?" Sally was somewhat disappointed. _After everything I've done for them and been patient…_

Dean took another look in his mirror before parking the car on the side of the dark road. "Sally look, off course we'll help you. I promised remember? But the smartest thing to do now is go to Bobby's. He can help us find a place to start. We just have to let him know we are coming his way, but that the least of our problems now…"

Sally stared at him for a while before nodding. "I understand. Bobby sounds like a nice man." She sighed again, before settling back in. Dean nodded and turned back on the road. Sparing another glance at his brother, he chuckled as he heard the soft snores coming from beside him.

Only two hours driving left…

XXX

Suddenly, a phone started ringing and broke through the silence…

Sam started awake and jerked his head away from the window. Frowning at each other, they realised it wasn't one of their three phones. The sound originated from inside the dashboard, an old phone that Sam had used long ago. It was kept working and the number had been given to only three people…

"H-Hello" Sam mumbled sleepily, after trying to straighten back up in his seat. "Mrs Novak? Amelia? This is Sam...Uhm yes, Castiel is here...He's been in uhm some sort of accident, but he's recovering now..." Sam threw his brother a confused look, at the same time the Angel asked in wonder at hearing his name from someone outside this car. "Who is that?" Once again he tried to get up, but just like the last time, Sally's hand prevented that. Sam handed the phone over to the Angel, the same confused look still on his face. The Angel stared at the phone for a moment, as if not remembering what to do with it, before putting it to his ear. "Hello?" Dean raised his eyebrow at his brother, who just shook his head. "Yes, Jimmy is fine, ma'am. All things considering."

Sally could hear the voice of a woman talking on the other side of the line, trying to follow the confusing conversation going on in front of her, once again trying to grasp the idea that Castiel and Jimmy were one and the same. "...The police are quite mistaken, miss. Jimmy is no murderer. I was the one to kill those two demons. Their bodies were already dead before I sent them back to Hell." A long silence from Cas's side and the hysteric voice of the woman on the other end filled the Impala. "Jimmy is not dead, Mrs Novak. Why would you lie about that to you family and friends?" The confusion was evident in the Angel's voice, and Dean decided this had gone on long enough and parked the car, before yanking the phone out of the Angel's hand. "I'm sorry Mrs Novak, Castiel is still a little off...Maybe I can help you?" Castiel threw a frustrated glare in Dean's direction, but he pretended not to notice, listening to the distraught woman. "I understand the problem, but I don't know how to rectify that with the Government without getting arrested..." Blinking, Dean stared at the phone in his hand, as it was suddenly disconnected. "Hello, Mrs Novak? Hello?" Tossing the phone on the dashboard, he stared at his brother "Well that was weird..."

"Weird how?" Came Sam's question, sleep forgotten for now. "Well, the cops came to her house and they had a search warrant. She and Claire have been questioned. And now the whole neighbourhood thinks Jimmy's a criminal and she's been helping him. And the bad thing is, now everybody knows that Jimmy is still alive...God, what a mess!"

"I don't understand..." Castiel stated. "Clearly!" Dean groused back. "And what happened to not remembering what went on at the hospital. Morphine making everything clearer?"

The Angel's face contorted in a painful grimace. "I-I do remember, Dean. That jump was remarkably...painful..."

Silence once again settled over the car. Dean wiped a tired hand across his face, before starting the car and heading towards Bobby's once more. The road stretched on in front of him and soon he felt himself start to relax again. Taking another look at his brother, he chuckled as Sam had relaxed too, body folded over to rest against the door. Sally was nodding off in the backseat; putting her head in a more comfortable position, she too was soon sound asleep.

Looking at the other occupant on the backseat, he smiled. "Well Cas, I guess it's just you and me now" Cas stared at the oldest Winchester from his position. The only thing he saw were Dean's shoulder and the back of his head. He felt useless, weak and empty. His whole body ached, but his back gave him the most trouble. But he figured out that minimal movement meant minimal pain, so he settled for that, listening to the soft purr of the Impala's engine...a sound that he hated to admit, he had grown to love...

XXX

AN: Thanks for reading this; I had great fun writing this. CAS RULES! But so do the Winchesters...lol. Oh and let's not forget Sally :D

X Josi

Well, the blame for the absolutely horrible delay in posting this chapter is to be sought with me entirely. I'm very sorry for abandoning this story for almost 2 months...I promise to not let that happen again!

X Aranna Undomiel


	13. Chapter 13

The silence in the car lasted for a long time. Sam was completely out by now and was softly snoring while his head shifted along the glass with every bend in the road. His mouth hung open and a little trail of drool sidled along the curves of his chin. _Charming…_Dean grinned, snapping a quick shot before turning his attention back on the other passengers in the car.

Sally apparently was a very quiet person when she slept, making no sound as she clung to the back of Dean's seat on which her head rested. Dean had adjusted his position in his chair in order not to disturb her. Cas was also silent, but unlike the others, he was still very much awake. Every bump in the road switched Dean's attention from the road to the Angel lying on the back seat, who returned his gaze every single time, his jaws clenched tight against the obvious pain he was. His eyes seemed a lot cleared though; Dean felt. Maybe some of his Angel powers were reloading at last.

"You still good back there, Cas?" Dean asked softly, after feeling the car veer as they hit another pothole. After a grunt, Cas nodded. "Yeah right" Dean scoffed, "You're obviously peachy….And just for the record…that was sarcasm!"

Cas blinked and repositioned his right leg as unobtrusively as he could before answering Dean. "My back…is still giving me discomfort. And my leg feels…odd" The words were uttered softly, almost ashamed. Not looking Dean in the eye he continued. "Is there something you can do against the pain Dean?"

Dean felt his eyes nearly tear over at this, the feeling of trust from the Angel directed towards him almost too much to bear. Pulling over on the side of the road he quickly exited the car to grab the morphine from the first aid kit. Its effect seemed to last long on the Angel, but he wasn't such a pro with needles, so he decided on the pills instead. Two should be enough to keep Cas comfortable until they reached Bobby's. Before shutting the trunk again his gaze fell on some caffeine pills and he took one without thinking too much on it. He knew he was about to keel over from exhaustion even though he would never admit it to the others, and they still had 45 more minutes to go.

Getting back into his seat, the Angel urgently whispered at him: "Dean, there's someone in our car…" He tried to wiggle his way out of the lap were his head had been in for the ride but there was little room to move. Dean frowned and realized that the young woman had started to make small noises and she slowly moved her head. She was probably having a nightmare Dean figured, and who could blame her after all that had happened to her today.

Turning back his attention to the Angel, Dean sighed. "That's Sally, Cas. Remember? She's been with us for a bit now, she's sleeping now."

"Oh," Cas mumbled. "Okay." But the confused look on his face told Dean that it was anything but okay. Grinning a bit he offered the pills to the Angel. "Here take these against the pain and try to get some more sleep. The last time you woke up you were feeling much better." Dean held a flask of water to the Angel's lips and Cas nearly drank the whole bottle, the cool liquid soothing his parched throat.

"That's it," Dean admonished. "We're nearly at Bobby's place, so just hang in there for a bit longer. And try not to wake Sally, okay?"

Cas nodded and closed his eyes again, a smile appearing on his face as he felt the pills taking effect. "Thank you Dean…"

XXX

As Dean parked the Impala in front of Bobby's house, Sally shot awake with a gasp, which was nearly covered by the sound of the engine cooling. "Sally?" Dean questioned softly. The young nurse gazed around wildly and licked her dry lips, breath coming in short bursts.

"Where are we?" Her voice broke and she sounded very young. Turning around in his chair, Dean gently spoke to the frightened nurse. "It's okay Sally, we're here." Finally settling her gaze on Dean, she sighed. "Where's here?"

"At Bobby's, remember? He knows your father…uhm stepfather. And he knows more people who can help us track him down." Sally sighed again and finally relaxed. "Oh okay…right"

Her eyes scanned the area they were parked in, the damaged cars spread out across the yard, some so dented and torn apart they were hardly recognisable as one anymore. In the far corner on her right there was an old shed with iron racks filled with tires and other car parts. The clutter and heaped up old leaves told her it had been a long time any work had been done there. When her eyes rested on the house her mouth fell open in shock at seeing the sunken in roof and the old wooden exterior.

"Is this man a …recluse?" Sally asked, blushing immediately as she registered what she had said. Dean laughed at her question. "Yeah something like that. But trust me; Bobby's really not that bad…well at least after you get to know him a bit. He can be quite gruff." A soft smile touched his lips at that and he stared at the old house with a fond gaze. Turning toward his brother, who had slept through all of this, he poked him forcefully on the shoulder, causing Sam to shoot up straight, narrowly avoiding to hit his head on the roof of the car. "Whoa…huh?"

"Rise and shine, Sammy. We're here." Groaning; the younger Winchester rubbed a hand across his face as he took in his surroundings. "Seriously? Wow, I was really out."

"Yeah, kinda noticed that…Drooly Face." Dean laughed as his brother quickly wiped off his chin. Sam turned around to look at Cas in the backseat. The Angel's eyes were closed, his slow breathing signaling him to be asleep. "How's he doing?" Sam asked softly. Dean shrugged and opened his door. "He's fine for now I think. He fell asleep about half an hour ago. I think we should let him lie here for a moment longer. I'd hate to wake him up so soon, he needs his rest."

He opened the door to the backseat and offered his hand to Sally. "Come on Sally, let's go meet Bobby."

XXX

"Boys! What kept you so long? Well don't just stand there, come inside! And what'd you do with that darn Angel?" The old hunter groused as he wheeled his chair towards them. Sally started at the sight of this and kept herself positioned behind the brothers. "Hey Bobby, good to see you too," Dean said, with a grin on his face. Sam smiled at him too. "Hey Bobby, how you've been?" The older man looked at the youngest Winchester and felt his anger dissipated slightly at the worry that shone out of those hazel puppy eyes. Sighing, he rolled his wheelchair away from the door to let them in when his gaze fell on the young girl nearly hiding behind them. "You must be Doc Conner's kid, right?" Bobby questioned. Sally smiled, shyly shaking her head. "I'm his stepdaughter, since two weeks actually."

Bobby nodded, wheeling into his living room, expecting them to follow. Dean gave Sally a soft push in her back to get her moving. Sam gazed back at the car to see Cas still soundly asleep, before closing the front door behind him. Bobby gestured around the living room. "Well take a seat, I've got some news."

Dean stared at the state the room was in. The cabinets were empty, save for the upper three shelves; its former contents spilled across the floor and the desk. He felt an unsettling feeling creeping up on him. He felt guilty for not coming here sooner, for not finding out if Bobby was doing alright. After all, it was the knife meant for Dean that had caused this situation…

"So Bobby, doing a little redecorating, are we?" Dean asked, trying for a light mood. Sam, who was wearing a deep frown, started to clear out the couch.

"Shut it, Idjit. Don't go talking about housekeeping in times like these!" Bobby growled, his scowl worsening as Dean and Sam shook their heads. "Seriously, cut it out. Go take a seat and be quiet. We're here for Sally, right. She'd like to know about her mother, don't ya think."

Sally, who had quietly taken a seat on the spot that Sam had cleared on the couch, turned her big eyes towards the old man. "You…have news on my mother?" Sam and Dean exchanged a look, before looking at Bobby. The hunter rolled towards his desk and fished a piece of paper of it before wheeling back to them.

"I talked to her brother. Ever since all this aired on TV your mom's been real upset. So I've sent someone to talk to her, another Hunter. He knows your stepdaddy." Bobby handed the paper to Sally, who looked at him questioningly. "This is the number you can call, you can use the phone in the kitchen, it's a secure line. You go tell her everything is good, and I'll fill you in on the rest later." Sally smiled, a full one this time, happy her mother was safe at least. She nearly leaped of the couch towards the kitchen. "Thank you sir!"

When she had disappeared into the kitchen, Bobby bent forward and smacked Dean upside the head. "Hey…ouch" Dean nearly yelped, startled, rubbing his head. "Bobby what the hell?" Sam smirked, trying but failing to stop from laughing. "What were you thinkin' boy? Bein' this careless. You coulda just gone on TV and yell to the world that you was a hunter. Woulda had the same effect, the whole world is lookin' for you two ugly mugs!"

"But Bobby, I…Sam…" Dean stuttered, but Bobby cut in again. "Sam what, huh? You two idjits and fly boy over yonder are now wanted for murder. And if that wasn't enough you decided to add kidnapping to the list. "

Both boys stared at the ground, feeling the truth in the older Hunter's words. Sam frowned "We made a mess, we know."

In the silence that followed they could hear Sally laughing in the kitchen. "Mom? Hey, hey mom! Oh I'm so glad to hear from you! What? No mom, no. Just calm down, I'm fine. They haven't done anything to me, really I'm fine. I love you too mom. And Mom? I'm sorry for acting so bad before. I'm sure Doctor Conner is a nice man."

The brothers turned their gaze towards Bobby again, feeling their guilt rising. The older hunter shook his head once more before his features softened. "Look, it's up to you now to find that guy. I'll give ya a hand with that. And fine, I'll help ya with that Angel too. But know this, this is the last time I will clean up the mess your lazy asses left behind! I'm gettin' too old for this stuff."

Sam and Dean nodded simultaneously, Sam drumming his fingers on his knees, before he stood up. "I'm gonna check on Cas."

"Right Sparky, you do that." Bobby groused and Dean turned his attention back towards the older man, before looking away again.

"Hold up Sammy, I'm coming along." He too got up and followed his brother outside.

Bobby scratched his head under his cap and wiped his hand over his face.

"Those Winchesters…Just like their Daddy…ugh"

XXX

XXX

AN:

Well, it took a really long time and that is all to blame on the time it took me (Aranna) to translate this, because real life kept dragging me down…But hopefully now it'll be a little quieter and more chapters will follow soon!

Love, Josi and Aranna Undomiel


	14. Chapter 14

"Geez, Bobby is doing even worse than I thought. What do you think, Sam?" Sam had been walking quietly towards the Impala that stood parked close to the porch, but stopped when he noticed the backdoor was slightly opened, completely ignoring his brother. "Yo! Sam! Earth calling!"

After throwing a glance inside the car he turned towards his brother, frowning deeply.

"Dean…where's Cas?"

"What do ya mean, 'where's Cas', he's supposed to be napping on the backseat." Face paling, Dean hurried to the Impala, only to see the backseat was empty. "Sonofabitch. You gotta be kidding' me. Where the hell did he run off to? Shouldn't have left him in the car, Bobby's place is the first they'll be start looking for us" Running a hand through his hair, Dean walked around the car in the hopes of finding some traces, but there were none to be found. The only thing different about the Impala were the missing Angel and the four long scratches in the upholstery that had been left behind, leading Dean to the conclusion Cas hadn't gone along voluntarily. But why hadn't they heard anything with the car standing this close?

"Sam, we've got to find him. He's defenceless without his Mojo and there's no way to contact us since he doesn't have a cell phone on him."

"Who do you think took him, Dean? Olivia or…?"

"Do I look like I've got all the answers, Sam? All I know is that we're screwed. Cas was taken and it is my fault…" Slamming the door shut with too much force behind it, Dean searched in his pockets for his phone.

XXX

The phone rang. Sally looked up from where she was sitting on the couch and stared at the old man in the wheelchair. He had lowered his mug of coffee and grabbled in his pocket with a surprised look on his face. Looking at the name flashing in his screen, he flipped it open with a sour look.

"Dean, you too lazy to walk through my door again, boy" He stopped talking when Dean's voice, distorted through the phone, sounded.

"_Cas is gone, Bobby"_ Both Bobby and Sally remained silent after that.

"Whaddaya mean: gone? I thought you said…"

"_I know what I said Bobby! They took him…" _

"Who did, son? Demons? Lucifer? Zachariah?"

"_How the Hell do I know Bobby, it's not like they left a card with their names on it! Bastards damaged my Baby too when they did."_

"Watch your tone boy! I get it, the Angel is gone" Turning his gaze towards the young nurse, who was sitting on the edge of her seat to be able to follow the conversation, he kept silent for a moment. He could hear Dean blowing off steam by muttering curses to his younger brother and then nobody in particular. _'Sam, don't touch that leather!'' _

_"But Dean, I was just looking to see if there was anything…"_

_"Sam, I'm warning you!...Bobby? You still there? What do we do now?"_

Bobby rolled his eyes at this, before returning his attention back to the phone. "Get inside, you idjits! Cas is an Angel of the Lord; he can manage for a sec without your help. Meanwhile, how about helping the little lady you boys brought along, huh? We'll see about your Angel than." Throwing his phone on his desk, he sighed deeply. Wiping a tired hand over his face, he startled when a soft voice coughed a bit. He had no idea what he should say to the young woman, girl even, to try and reassure her. Being gentle was not his thing; never was and never will be. He tried to form his face into a friendly smile, but judging by her slightly startled look, he didn't succeed that much. "Don't worry, Sally. The boys won't leave you behind." Sally nodded at this, a small smile forming on her face.

XXX

The Angel startled awake when two strong hands wrapped around his ankles and started pulling. Dizzy and half awake, Cas tried to focus on the face in front of him, squinting to try and get a better look. He saw the outline of two broad shoulders and for a moment he relaxed. "Dean…Dean w-what…" A growl coming out of the person in front of him halted his question, as he was being yanked outside by his legs. This could not be Dean, Dean would never be this rough with him, not while he was injured... would he? The grip on his ankles increased as he was pulled another time, this time sliding a little more out of the car. The shock of the sudden movement increased his nausea, pain shooting through his body, causing his mind to momentarily clear up. This was not Dean, and if it was not Dean, than he had to fight. He could let himself be captured, not in this state. He was no match for demon's or Lucifer's disciples now. They would try to abuse his powers, which could be disastrous for the fate of the world, and even more so for the Winchester's…

"No…s-stop."

The hands around his ankles moved upwards to his legs, putrid breath wafting towards his face as his assailant leaned forward into the car. He started moving his legs, trying to kick off the other person, but was shocked to realise that his left leg refused to join the movements. Jimmy's body must have been more damaged than he had thought. The nerves running through the spine must have stopped firing their signals to his muscles, he mused as he stared at the unmoving leg. The moment of contemplation was short lived however, because when the hands on his legs pulled once more, he slid further out of the Impala. "No!" He yelled, more forceful this time. His hand grappled around him, looking for something to hold on to, grabbing hold on the headrest of Sam's chair. A groan of frustration sounded from the man outside when he experienced the sudden resistance. Eyes shut tightly, Cas held on for what he was worth, but the pain in his back made it increasingly difficult to keep it up. "Stop…please…no…" Cas nearly whined. "Ssst" he suddenly heard. Confused, he opened his eyes to once again stare at the person holding him. He didn't know the man, but he most certainly knew the demon inside of him…

"Y-you…" the Angel stammered, gaze locked on the black eyes of the demon, who was grinning at him, while the Angel still held on to the chair. "Come" the man's voice said. Cas shook his head in denial, tightening his hold even more. This demon was working for Crowley. Normally that wouldn't have worried him, he could take on Crowley easily and the upper demon knew when he was in over his head and kidnapping Angels would be one of those things. But now, in this state and with him having information valuable to many parties, this thought worried him…

His eyes widened when the man grabbed him by his waist and started pulling. The action resulted in the riding up of his shirt, revealing the corset holding his body together. The demon smiled in delight, eyes darkening even more if possible. His grip on the Angel's waist increased until his fingers seemed to push through the corset, the pain nearly becoming unbearable. The hand of the Angel not holding on to the headrest, held on to the leather cushion of the Impala's backseat. His fingernails broke through the leather, when the demon's fingers broke through the corset. White hot pokers of pain seared through his body, black spots beginning to dance around the edges of his vision. He swallowed; the taste of blood heavy in his mouth. Fighting the pull of the darkness, he gathered the last bit of strength he had left …and kicked the demon in his crotch…he had tried to push him away, but to his satisfaction this worked out even better. The demon's grip on him lessened considerably and Castiel could get some air. He tried to call out to Dean for help, but his voice croaked and he could not get loud enough to be heard inside. The demon grunted as he once again grabbed Castiel. "That was a low move Cas, where did you learn to do that" the demon sounded slightly amused, even though the body he was in, was still hunched over somewhat. Cas stared at the dark black eyes and realised there was nothing more he could do. He was in too much pain, what little he had left of his Grace already spent on healing Jimmy's body. The demon's fingers pushed down hard on his body, blood rushing to his head and his vision once again greying. Tears rolled down his cheeks and his muscles strained against the pain. His lips turned white and little drops of blood pooled out of his nose and ears. The demon pulled him out entirely now and Cas fell boneless to the ground. Wheezing and groaning, the Angel blinked his eyes to try to get rid of the dark spots, his body shaking as his vision wavered. The only thing he could hear was the beating of his own…of Jimmy's heart. The boots of the demon came into his vision and he was lifted.

"Come on, Princess. The boss wants to talk to you."

XXX

XXX

AN: And what did you think? Loved it/hated it? Please let us know, we live for reviews :D And apologies for the horribly late update! Our New Year's Resolution will be to finish this story ;)

Josie& Aranna Undomiel


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